Method and apparatus for internet, intranet, and local viewing of virtual microscope slides

ABSTRACT

A method of and apparatus for viewing microscopic images include transmitting tiled microscopic images from a server to a client. The client assembles the tiled images into a seamless virtual slide or specimen image and provides tools for manipulating image magnification and viewpoint. The method and apparatus also provides a virtual multi-headed microscope function which allows scattered viewers to simultaneously view and interact with a coherent magnified microscopic image.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a continuation of prior U.S. patent application Ser. No.09/592,561, filed Jun. 12, 2000, which is hereby incorporated herein byreference in its entirety. This application claims the benefit of U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 60/177,550, filed Jan. 21, 2000, U.S.patent application Ser. No. 09/592,561, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,396,941which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No.09/032,514 filed Feb. 27, 1998, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 08/805,856 filed Mar. 3, 1997, now U.S. Pat.No. 6,101,265, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 08/701,974 filed Aug. 23, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No.6,031,930.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a method of and an apparatus for storing andviewing virtual microscope slides. The method and apparatus are usableover the Internet, an intranet, or on a local computer, and provide anintegrated and interlocked combination of a digital image server andmultiple virtual microscope client viewers.

Examination of tissue sections, aspirated tissue, and the like, hastypically been a localized activity. That is, the tissue is sectioned ina lab. It may be stained and microscopically examined by a lightmicroscope after which a technician and/or a pathologist reaches aconclusion as to the characteristics of the tissue; for instance whetherthe tissue is benign or malignant and what stage of malignancy thetissue might be in. A number of patents awarded to the instant inventorsare directed to that sort of system.

In some cases, however, it may be desirable where results are indefiniteor where particular sophistication is needed for the human analysis ofthe images to be able to supply the slides to an offsite expert whomight be across the country or on the other side of the world. In thepast, the approach which has been taken to solve this problem hasinvolved the transfer of the slides themselves by air express or post,often involving significant time delays which it would be desirable toavoid if a patient is suspected of being severely ill.

In the alternative, telepathology systems have been made availableinvolving the use of television transmissions requiring a 6 MHzbandwidth, either through a satellite link or possibly through a coaxialcable, both of which must, in effect, be dedicated lines and previouslyset up. Such a system, however, requires a great deal of customizationand expense although such systems do include the use ofcomputer-controlled microscopes. Such microscopes receive commands froma remote location to move to a particular position on a slide so thatthe television camera may send a television signal out representative ofthe field of view.

This type of system is relatively expensive and clumsy to use do to thenecessity for a very expensive robotically-controlled microscope whichreceives specialized signals over a dedicated link.

What is needed then is a system and apparatus which can allow a remoteconsult to take place related to tissue specimens, and the like, whichmay be done quickly, conveniently, and easily.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a method for viewing virtual microscope slides.Virtual microscope slides comprise sets of tiled images. The tiles ofthe tiled images represent a field of view which may be captured from amicroscope having a high-precision controlled stage typically with astage resolution in the neighborhood of a {fraction (1/10)}th micronstep. The images are captured on a CCD array which generates images incolor or black and white and stores them in a frame buffer or on disk intiled format. Such images are usually very large due to the number ofpixels required to reproduce a substantial size tissue specimen at ahigh magnification, such as 40 power. In addition, in order to provideease of use, particularly on a remote basis, other sets of tiled imageshave a lower magnification, for instance at 1.25 power. All of theimages are tiled and stored in digital format on a server which maycommunicate using the hypertext transport protocol used for web-basedcommunications over a packet switching network such as the Internet oran intranet. Because the images have already been captured andcoordinated in tiled form, it is unnecessary to provide arobotically-controlled microscope or even the original specimensthemselves.

One or more clients may communicate with the server containing the imageto download a portion or all of the tiled image. The client providesrequests to the server indicating the portion which is desired to beviewed and the server supplies the appropriate tiles for that portion ofthe image. The tiles are received by the client and are assembled into aseamless view which may be scrolled through and scanned in the samemanner as a pathologist may move about a microscope slide to findregions of interest. In addition, the low-magnification image may bedisplayed in a first window at the client and a higher-magnificationimage may simultaneously be displayed which retains coherence with thelower-magnification image in order to provide ease of scanning for areasof interest by the pathology, or the like.

Furthermore, the client/server relationship may be carried out overmultiple clients with one of the clients having control over the imagepositioning as fed by the server for all other clients via communicationbetween the first client and the server, and then subsequent updatingcoherent communication between the server and the downstream clients.This does not necessarily require that repeated loading take place ofthe client images, but only that signals be sent between the server andthe secondary clients reflecting the field which the first client isviewing. In this way, the overall system can operate similarly to amultiheaded optical microscope of the type used to train physicians inpathology. Furthermore, the system can be used as a multiheadedmicroscope during a consult so that al persons simultaneously involvedin the consult are looking at the same portion of the image and noconfusion can arise.

A further advantage of the present invention is to provide packetswitched chat communications along with the multiheaded virtualmicroscope feature to allow text to be transferred among the variousclients while the images are being viewed.

Finally, additional lines of communication may be provided among theusers of the multiple remote client locations so that they can discusstelephonically or even using a voice-over-Internet protocol-based systemto confer in real time on the images that are being seen at each of theclient stations.

Furthermore, the client in control of the image may relinquish controlto a second client; the first client operating on a peer basis with theother clients in a secondary relationship thereafter.

In order to provide further analysis features, a linear measuring ortape measuring feature may be provided in order to determine thedistance in microns, or the like, between a pair of points identified bypointing and clicking on portions of the image in order to determine theactual size of particular features shown in the specimen image. Thesize, of course, is computed on the basis of the magnification of theimage being shown.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeobvious to one of ordinary skill in the art upon a perusal of thefollowing specification and claims in light of the accompanying drawings

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system according to the invention forcreating and transmitting locally, over an intranet or via the Internetdata structures of an image of specimen on a microscope slide;

FIG. 1A is representation of a microscope slide which has beenarbitrarily assigned to be scanned into eighty tiled images;

FIG. 1B is a representation of the detected signals of the individualpixel sensors in a CCD optical array after detecting a selected imagearea to tile and the referenced data files containing the informationdescribing the detected signals;

FIG. 2 is a screen view of a system embodying the present inventionshowing a low magnification image of a specimen on a microscope slide inone window, a high magnification image of a portion of the lowmagnification image selected by a region marker and a control window;

FIG. 3 is a view of a display screen of the apparatus embodying thepresent invention showing the control window a low magnification windowhaving a plurality of high magnification micro image regions delineatedtherein and a high magnification window including one or more of themicro image regions;

FIG. 4 is a view of a macro image of an actual breast cancer specimendisplayed at 1.25× as seen on a computer monitor;

FIG. 5 is a view of the grid portion of FIG. 4 outlining a region ofinterest selected by a pathologist displayed at 40× magnification;

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the steps in the mapping of the scannedimage from the optical sensor array to computer bit map in memory to thedisplay on a user's monitor;

FIG. 7A is a file listing such as would be seen under Windows 95 filemanager showing the data files included in a data structure for a breastcancer specimen;

FIG. 7B is a file listing of a Java applet for controlling a datastructure;

FIG. 8 is file listing such as would be seen under Windows 95 filemanager showing the data files included in an alternate data structurefor a breast cancer specimen;

FIGS. 9A and 9B are a block diagram of the apparatus embodying thepresent invention;

FIG. 10 is a block diagram of a portion of the apparatus shown in FIG. 9showing details of a mechanical arrangement of a microscope;

FIG. 11 is a flow diagram related to operation of the apparatus;

FIG. 12 is a flow diagram of details of one of the steps in FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a display screen showing control parameters to be manipulatedthereon;

FIG. 14 is a flow chart for a region outlying routine;

FIG. 15 is a flow chart for a scanning and analyzing routine;

FIG. 16 is a schematic showing of the limits of travel of the microscopestage with respect to the image tiles;

FIG. 16A is a perspective view of the microscope stage and steppermotors and encoders providing a closed loop drive for the motors;

FIG. 17 is a block diagram of a networked system allowing multipleworkstations to obtain access to the microscope and to manipulate themicroscope locally at each workstation;

FIG. 17A is a view of the system described in connection with FIG. 10;

FIG. 18 is a block diagram of a remote networked system for distributingand accessing diagnostic images and data, i.e. virtual microscopeslides, through a hypertext transport protocol based server directly orover a packet network;

FIG. 19 shows a system having interlinking and an integrated combinationof image viewer and server concept using an Internet or intranetconnection embodying the present invention;

FIG. 20 shows a server comprising a portion of the system shown in FIG.19 and functioning as a listening socket to respond to GET requests andcreate event threads in a simultaneous multi-threaded operatingenvironment;

FIG. 21 shows logic to determine valid GET requests;

FIG. 22A shows an interaction between a thin client browser program andthe Internet or intranet server computer with a server program as shownin FIG. 20;

FIG. 22B shows an HTML-embedded Java applet viewer window for a clientsubsystem of the system shown in FIG. 19;

FIG. 23 shows an interaction between a Java applet program and Internetor intranet servers executing a server program and embodying the presentinvention;

FIG. 24 shows a thin client browser main window upon initial activationof the thin client browser shown in FIG. 22A;

FIG. 25 shows a main window with a Slide Tray tab activated, showingavailable images from a remote server;

FIG. 26 shows a selection in the tray holding slide name Prost-z1 andshowing a thumbnail image of a virtual slide together with associatedidentification information;

FIG. 27 shows a main window of the thin client browser showing a tabafter selection of a virtual slide for detailed viewing in response tothe Slide Tray tab;

FIG. 28 shows a Slide View window chosen by selecting a point on thebrowser main window thumbnail image, a Slide View image shows an overlayset of a tiled region from which one or more higher-magnification FieldView images may be chosen;

FIG. 29 shows a Field View window chosen by selecting an image tileregion of the Slide View window shown in FIG. 28 using a pointer;

FIG. 30 is a flow chart of a typical sequence of interactions to view animage;

FIG. 31 shows a Server tab, showing options for multiple clientinteraction;

FIG. 32 shows a right mouse click activated pop-up menu when a pointeris positioned on an x, y location in the image area;

FIG. 33 shows a pointer position after choosing a “Set the Pointer”option in the menu of FIG. 32;

FIG. 34 shows a flow chart for major steps in process of filling indisplay windows with tiles; and

FIG. 35 shows an HTML-embedded Java applet viewer window.

FIGS. 36A through 36D are flow charts showing the operation of a serverand a plurality of clients connected to the server for performing avirtual multi-headed microscope task.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the drawings and especially to FIG. 1, a system 10according to the invention is shown therein for creating, andtransmitting over an intranet or via the Internet a virtual microscopeslide, i.e. interrelated data structures, which may or may not includedisplay procedures, depicting at multiple resolutions, images of aspecimen on a microscope slide. The system includes a microscope with adigital platform for supporting the microscope slide. Digital platformor stage 11 has been specially calibrated to include a large number ofincrements for locating portions of specimen images with high precision.After calibration and initial registration of stage 11 in the microscopesetup, a microscope slide 13 or other substrate with a specimen 13 a tobe scanned is placed on stage 11.

For exemplary purposes, the creation of virtual microscope slidespecimen according to the invention will be described with respect to abreast cancer specimen. The first step in creating a data structureaccording to the invention is to establish a macro image of the entirespecimen (or that portion of the specimen desired to be stored as themacro image) The purpose for creating the macro or large area thumbnailimage is to enable the viewer to see the entire specimen at once and touse the entire image to choose those significant portions thereon forviewing at greater magnification. In this example, the user has selected1.25× as the magnification to display the entire breast cancer slide.Once specimen 13 a has been placed on stage 11, rotating opticalassembly 15 are rotated to select lens 17 which corresponds to the 1.25×magnification.

In accordance with the teachings of the prior patent application, thecomputer controlled microscope is moved to scan the entire image ofspecimen 13 a. The focusing system is programmed to step throughincrements which detect/select only the high resolution center area ofthe field of view in order to avoid storing the blurred areas at theperiphery of the field of view. In this example, the macro image will bestored in a 10 by 8 array, for a total of 80 contiguous image tiles, asshown in FIG. 1A.

A typical microscope slide is about 77 mm by 25 mm, where the usablearea, without including the label, is about 57 mm by 25 m. Each of the80 image segments is about 4.8 mm by 3.5 mm in dimension. This meanseach of the 80 image segments will be scanned separately and stored as aseparate image tile.

The precision of the microscope systems is set up so that each step ofthe motor has a precision of 0.1 micron (micrometer). In this example,the microscope is set up to move 48,143 steps in the X direction and35,800 steps in the Y direction at 1.25× magnification for each of the80 image areas. At higher magnifications, the image areas to be scannedare considerably smaller, so the number of steps is correspondingsmaller. For each of the 80 image areas, the microscope lens will detectonly the high resolution center area of the field of view.

The optical image from the desired image area is then detected by anoptical array sensor 19, which preferably is a CCD sensor array. In thisembodiment each of the 80 scanned areas is sensed by the entire array19, which includes 752 pixels by 480 pixels. The optical array sensor 19sends electrical signals indicative of the detected image to amicroscope-controlled computer 32. The computer 32 stores the scannedimages, including the top left X-Y stage coordinates for each of the 80individual areas of the microscope slide. Each of the 80 scanned imageareas' pixel locations are stored in a bit-mapped file (i.e., a filewhich contains a map of the location of each bit in the area) whichcorresponds to the layout of the individual images thereon. Thus, all ofthe pixels from the image tile derived from region A on FIG. 1A, whichis the seventh from the left and in the top row, are individuallyassigned unique locations in the computer memory's bit-mapped file (FIG.6), and are also stored in the data structure image tile file as shownin FIG. 1B.

Each of the stored data image tiles is a standard image file withextension .bmp, and is of the order of one megabyte, i.e. each of the752×480 pixels is stored as 3 bytes of red, green and blue image data(752×480×32=1,082,880 bytes). Since the location of each image tile isknown according to the bitmap, the complete microscope image can berecreated by painting (displaying) each image tile in accordance withits grid location.

To display the resulting image, the computer 32 calculates theappropriate portion to be displayed from each image tile depending uponthe relative size of the display screen. Since the stored image data isusually greater than the size of the typical monitor, the viewer mustscroll through the image on the window to view it entirely. However, anoptional compression algorithm can be used to compress the entire imageinto the viewing window. The X-Y coordinate information is used by theviewing and manipulation program to reconstruct the image tiles into acomplete image of the specimen. The resulting image is larger, and withbetter resolution than would be achieved if optics technology were ableto construct a single lens capable of viewing the entire specimen in onefield of view. In this example, each of the 80 image tiles has digitalresolution of 752×480 pixels, with corresponding optical resolution ofapproximate 0.2 microns at 40× to approximately 6.4 microns at 1.25×.

After the macro or thumbnail images are digitally scanned and storedwith their X-Y coordinate information, the user then examines the macroimage or original specimen for significant details. Typically, the userwill highlight with a marking pen the areas to be viewed at highermagnification. The user then changes the magnification of optics system15 to the desired higher magnification, moves the scanning system tobring the selected region into view. The computer 32 then repeats thescanning and image tile creation process for the selected region, but athigher magnification and with a new grid system to locate the scannedselected regions.

In the preferred embodiment example, the user has selected region Bshown on FIG. 1A to perform a second view at a higher magnification. Forexample the user selects a 40× magnification. The computer 32 calculatesthe number of tiles needed to fill the selected area at 40×magnification and sets up a second grid.

It should be noted that region B crosses over several of the largertiles in FIG. 1A. Because of the extremely precise 0.1 micron resolutionof the instrument, locating such selected regions with high resolutionis readily accomplished. As noted above, the computer 32 calculates thesize of the image portion, in this case as an example, X=1500 and Y=1200stepping increments. Each image portion at the 40× resolution isdetected by the optical sensor array, 752 by 480 pixels. Each resultingdata file is stored in a separate, high magnification mapped area ofmemory so that the computer can easily recall the location of region B,or any of its 200 individual image tiles, when requested by a user.

Once the user has completed selecting and having the computer controlledmicroscope system scan and store the digital images in image tiles, thecomputer 32 stores the mapped .bmp files along with their coordinateinformation and creates the slide image data structure 31 shown in FIG.1. Slide image data structure 31 includes all of the bit-mapped imagetile files at both magnifications (note that similarly, additionalimages could be stored at further magnifications, if desired), as wellas X-Y coordinate information for the location of the various imagetiles.

FIG. 7A is a file listing such as would be seen under a Windows 95 filemanager showing the data files included in a data structure for a breastcancer specimen. Included in the file listing are FinalScan.ini andSlideScan.ini as well as sixty bit-mapped data files. Slidescan.ini is alisting of all the original bit-mapped (.bmp) files. The bit-mappedfiles represent the individual image tiles in the scan at, say, 1.25×magnifications. SlideScan.ini is set forth below in Table 1 anddescribes the X-Y coordinates for each image tile file. When the datastructure is viewed by a control program, the program uses the X-Ycoordinates to display all the image tiles contiguously.

TABLE 1 Slidescan.ini [Header] [Ss2] x=278000 x=133571 y=142500 y=1425001XStepSize=48143 [Ss3] 1YStepSize=35800 x=37285 iScannedCount=37y=106700 [Ss1] [Ss4] x=181714 x=85428 y=142500 y=106700 [Ss5] y=−700x=133571 [Ss22] y=106700 x=181714 [Ss6] y=−700 x=181714 [Ss23] y=106700x=133571 [Ss7] y=−700 x=229857 [Ss24] y=106700 x=85428 [Ss8] y=−700x=229857 [Ss25] y=70900 x=37285 [Ss9] y=−700 x=181714 [Ss26] y=70900x=−10858 [Ss10] y=−700 x=133571 [Ss27] y=70900 x=−10858 [Ss11] y=−36500x=85428 [Ss28] y=70900 x=37285 [Ss12] y=−36500 x=37285 [Ss29] y=70900x=85428 [Ss13] y=−36500 x=−10858 y=70900 [Ss14] x=−10858 y=35100 [Ss15]x=37285 y=35100 [Ss16] x=85428 y=35100 [Ss17] x=133571 y=35100 [Ss18]x=181714 y=35100 [Ss19] x=229857 y=35100 [Ss20] x=278000 y=−700 [Ss21]x=229857 [Ss30] x=133571 y=−36500 [Ss31] x=181714 y=−36500 [Ss32]x=229857 y=−36500 [Ss33] x=278000 y=−36500 [Ss34] x=278000 y=−72300[Ss35] x=229857 y=−72300 [Ss36] x=181714 y=−72300 [Ss37] x=133571y=−72300

Table 2 is a listing of the file FinalScan.ini, which is a listing theX-Y coordinates of the high magnification image tiles scanned andstored.

TABLE 2 FinalScan.ini [Header] dMagnification=40 tPatientID=mda027lAnalysisImageCount=105 tAccession= lCalibrationImageCount=0tOperatorID=jwb [Da0] tTimeOfScan=8/4/97 1:19:56 x=214532 PM y=65584lXStageRef=278000 [Da1] lYStageRef=142500 x=212996 iImageWidth=752y=65584 iImageHeight=480 [Da2] lXStepSize=1590 x=211460 lYStepSize=1190y=65584 lXOffset=−1900 [Da3] lYOffset=−400 x=209924 y=65584 x=208388[Da4] y=63216 x=208388 [Da21] y=65584 x=206852 [Da5] y=63216 x=206852[Da22] y=65584 x=205316 [Da6] y=63216 x=205316 [Da23] y=65584 x=203780[Da7] y=63216 x=203780 [Da24] y=65584 x=214532 [Da8] y=62032 x=214532[Da25] y=64400 x=212996 [Da9] y=62032 x=212996 [Da26] y=64400 x=211460[Da10] y=62032 x=211460 [Da27] y=64400 x=209924 [Da11] y=62032 x=209924[Da28] y=64400 x=208388 [Da12] y=62032 x=208388 [Da29] y=64400 x=206852[Da13] y=62032 x=206852 [Da30] y=64400 x=205316 [Da14] y=62032 x=205316[Da31] y=64400 x=203780 [Da15] y=62032 x=203780 [Da32] y=64400 x=214532[Da16] y=60848 x=214532 [Da33] y=63216 x=212996 [Da17] y=60848 x=212996[Da34] y=63216 x=211460 [Da18] y=60848 x=211460 [Da35] y=63216 x=209924[Da19] y=60848 x=209924 [Da36] y=63216 x=208388 [Da20] y=60848 [Da37]y=58480 x=206852 [Da54] y=60848 x=205316 [Da38] y=58480 x=205316 [Da55]y=60848 x=203780 [Da39] y=58480 x=203780 [Da56] y=60848 x=180740 [Da40]y=82160 x=214532 [Da57] y=59664 x=179204 [Da41] y=82160 x=212996 [Da58]y=59664 x=177668 [Da42] y=82160 x=211460 [Da59] y=59664 x=176132 [Da43]y=82160 x=209924 [Da60] y=59664 x=174596 [Da44] y=82160 x=208388 [Da61]y=59664 x=173060 [Da45] y=82160 x=206852 [Da62] y=59664 x=171524 [Da46]y=82160 x=205316 [Da63] y=59664 x=180740 [Da47] y=80976 x=203780 [Da64]y=59664 x=179204 [Da48] y=80976 x=214532 [Da65] y=58480 x=177668 [Da49]y=80976 x=212996 [Da66] y=58480 x=176132 [Da50] y=80976 x=211460 [Da67]y=58480 x=174596 [Da51] y=80976 x=209924 [Da68] y=58480 x=173060 [Da52]y=80976 x=208388 [Da69] y=58480 x=171524 [Da53] y=80976 x=206852 [Da70]x=180740 [Da87] y=79792 x=176132 [Da71] y=77424 x=179204 [Da88] y=79792x=174596 [Da72] y=77424 x=177668 [Da89] y=79792 x=173060 [Da73] y=77424x=176132 [Da90] y=79792 x=171524 [Da74] y=77424 x=174596 [Da91] y=79792x=180740 [Da75] y=76240 x=173060 [Da92] y=79792 x=179204 [Da76] y=76240x=171524 [Da93] y=79792 x=177668 [Da77] y=76240 x=180740 [Da94] y=78608x=176132 [Da78] y=76240 x=179204 [Da95] y=78608 x=174596 [Da79] y=76240x=177668 [Da96] y=78608 x=173060 [Da80] y=76240 x=176132 [Da97] y=78608x=171524 [Da81] y=76240 x=174596 [Da98] y=78608 x=180740 [Da82] y=75056x=173060 [Da99] y=78608 x=179204 [Da83] y=75056 x=171524 [Da100] y=78608x=177668 [Da84] y=75056 x=180740 [Da101] y=77424 x=176132 [Da85] y=75056x=179204 [Da102] y=77424 x=174596 [Da86] y=75056 x=177668 [Da103]y=77424 x=173060 y=75056 [Da104] x=171524 y=75056

Computer 32 can also use the scanned image files to create aself-executing data structure. By compressing the .bmp images to .jpgand adding a dynamic, self-executing program which enables the user toview, 10 reconstruct and manipulate the image tiles, the user can usethe data structure as a virtual microscope slide of the originalspecimen. Preferably, the dynamic, self-executing program is a Javaapplet, such as shown on FIG. 7B.

Computer 32 can provide the slide image data structure 31 directly orvia an intranet browser 33 to local viewer 34, or via an Internet server38. Slide image data structure 37 is shown as being directly accessiblefrom Internet server 38. Alternatively, a user can download the slideimage data structure on his own computer 39, use an internet browser 43and view the reconstructed images. Another alternative is for computer32 to store the slide image data structure on a CD-ROM, Jazz drive orother storage medium.

To view slide image data structure 31 or 37, the user, who for example,has acquired the data structure via a CD-ROM, first installs the CD-ROMin the CD-ROM drive of his computer. Then the user opens up a browser orother applications program which can read the Java applet installed onthe CD-ROM with the image tiles. Note that in some instances no separatebrowser program may be required. In some case, the CD-ROM may includethe complete applications program for viewing, reconstructing andmanipulating the image tiles. In the instant example, the user will thenselect the icon or file listing for the slide image data structure andthe control program will display the data files.

FIG. 2 is a screen view of a system embodying the present inventionshowing a low magnification image 24 of a specimen on a microscope slidein one window, a high magnification image 26 of a portion of the lowmagnification image selected by a region marker 30 and a control window28. FIG. 3 is a view of a display screen of the apparatus embodying thepresent invention showing the control window 28, a low magnificationwindow 24 having a plurality of high magnification micro image regions310 delineated therein and a high magnification window 26 including oneor more of the micro image regions 310, 314, 316. FIG. 4 is a view of amacro image of an actual breast cancer specimen displayed at 1.25× asseen on a computer monitor. FIG. 5 is a view of the grid portion of FIG.4 outlining a region of interest selected by a pathologist displayed at40× magnification.

Recall that region A in FIG. 1A was about 4.8 mm by 3.5 mm. This areacreates 752 by 480 pixels of sensed data, or 360,930 pixels ofinformation. Each pixel sends information about its location and theimage it sensed to the computer. The computer stores this information ina series of data files (typically .bmp format, but .tif or .gif couldalso be used). Thus, it can be seen that several more pixels of senseddata are available for viewing on a computer monitor operating at 640 by480. To view the entire image, the user must scroll through the imagetiles. However, scrolling need not be done on a tile, by tile basis.Rather, the user scrolls by pointing to a pixel on the monitor.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing how the control program locates andscrolls through the stored image tiles. Using the example from FIG. 1a,a complete data structure has been created. When the user loads the datastructure (of the microscope slide) into his personal computer or viewsit from an Internet browser, the control program recreates a bit map ofthe stored data. The bit map of the entire slide is shown in FIG. 6.Image tile A is also high-lighted. This bit map enables a user to pointto or otherwise reference a location on the slide.

The X-Y coordinate information specified in the data structure enablesX-Y translation of the specific image tiles and specific pixels withinthe image tile. When the control program first loads the image, becausethis image file is so large, only a small number of the available tilesare displayed in the active window on the user's monitor. The user useshis mouse or pointing device to scroll through the active window to viewthe entire macro image. The X-Y coordinate information selected by themouse translates into specific image tiles or portions therein. Thecomputer takes the mouse pointer information and retrieves the imagedata from the series of stored tile images and displays them on themonitor for viewing the by user.

Because of the large amount of CCD pixel information stored, actual CCDpixel information can be recreated in the viewing window. The entiresystem operates in a loop, where the user inputs a mouse location, thecomputer translates the mouse location from the screen coordinates(screen pixels) to the X-Y coordinates on the bit map.

Similarly, the user may select the high magnification data images. Theseare outlined by a dark grid, indicating the areas stored. The useroperates the mouse in the same manner as described above. The controlprogram locates the stored X-Y coordinates and retrieves the selectedparts of the image, CCD stored pixel by CCD stored pixel.

As mentioned above, to save storage space, computer 32 can perform adata compression on each of the image tile files. A preferred datacompression is JPEG, which is readily transferred and recognized by mostInternet browser programs. Also, JPEG allows flexibility in the amountof data to be compressed, from 20 to 80 percent. FIG. 8 is file listingsuch as would be seen under Windows 95 file manager showing the datafiles included in an alternate data structure, one in which the datafiles have been compressed or converted to JPEG (.jpg) format for abreast cancer specimen. The file index.html (shown in Table 3) is thelisting which contains the X-Y coordinate information for these datafiles. This is the information that is read by the dynamic,self-executing program for viewing, reconstructing and manipulating theimage tiles into the macro and micro views.

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Referring now to the drawings, and especially to FIGS. 9A, 9B and 10,apparatus for synthesizing low magnification and high magnificationmicroscopic images is shown therein and generally identified byreference numeral 10. The system includes a computer 12 which is a dualPentium Pro personal computer in combination with a Hitachi HV-C20 videocamera 14 associated with a Zeiss Axioplan 2 microscope 16. The computersystem 12 is able to receive signals from the camera 14 which captureslight from the microscope 16 having a microscope slide 18 positioned onan LUDL encoded motorized stage 20. The encoded motorized stage 20includes a MAC 2000 stage controller for controlling the stage inresponse to the computer 12. A microscope slide 18 includes a biologicalspecimen 21 which is to be viewed by the microscope and whose image isto be digitized both at low magnification and at high magnification asselected by a user. The low magnification digitized image is thendisplayed on a 21 inch Iiyama video display monitor 22 having resolutionof 1600 by 1200 to provide display screens of the type shown in FIGS. 1through 3 including a low magnification image 24, for instance, at 1.25power, a high magnification image 26, for instance at 40× power and acontrol window or image 28. The low magnification image may haveidentified therein a region 30 which is reproduced at high magnificationin high magnification screen or window 26 so that a pathologist or otheroperator of the system can review architectural regions of interest inlow magnification image 24 and simultaneously view them in highmagnification in the high magnification screen or window 26 to determinewhether the cells forming a portion of the architectural feature need beexamined further for cancer or the like or not.

The computer 10 is constructed around a PCI system bus 40 and has afirst Pentium Pro microprocessor 42 and a second pentium promicroprocessor 44 connected thereto. The system bus 40 has connected toit a PCI bus 50 and an ISA bus 52. The PCI bus 50 has a SCSI controller60 connected thereto to send and receive information from a hard disk62. The hard disk 62 also is coupled in daisy chain SCSI fashion to ahigh capacity removal disk and to a CD Rom drive 66. The hard disks 62contains the programs for operating the system for controlling themicroscope 16 and for processing the images as well as for doing aquantitative analysis of the selected portions of the histologicalspecimens being viewed on the slide 18. The system bus 40 also hasconnected to it a random access memory 70 within which portions of theprogram being executed are stored as well as a read only memory 72 forholding a bootstrap loader as well as portions of the basic input/outputoperating system. A floppy disk controller 74 is coupled to the systembus 40 and has connected to it a floppy disk drive 76 for reading andwriting information to a floppy disk as appropriate. A mouse controller80 is coupled to the system bus and has a mouse 82 which operates as apointing device for controlling manipulations on the screen 22 andwithin the windows 24, 26 and 28. A keyboard controller 90 is connectedto the system bus and has a keyboard 92 connected thereto. The keyboard92 may be used to send and receive alpha numeric signals to otherportions of the computer. An audio controller 100 has a plurality ofspeakers 102 and a microphone 104 connected thereto for audio input andoutput and is coupled to the system bus 40. A network interface, such asa network interface card 104, is connected to the system bus and canprovide signals via a channel 106 to other portions of a network orinternet to which the system may be connected. Likewise, signals can besent out of the system through a modem 110 connected to the ISA bus 52and may be sent via a channel 112, for instance, to the internet. Aprinter 116 is connected via a parallel I/O controller 118 to the systembus in order to provide printouts as appropriate of screens and otherinformation as it is generated. A serial I/O controller 122 is connectedto the system bus and has connected to it a camera controller 124 whichis coupled to CCD sensors 126 in the cameras. The COD sensors 126 supplypixel or image signals representative of what is found on the slide 18to an Epix pixci image acquisition controller 130 coupled to the PCI bus50.

The microscope 16 includes a base 140 having a stage 20 positionedthereon as well as an objective turret 142 having a plurality ofobjectives 144, 146 and 148 thereon. The objective 144, for instance,may be of 1.25× objective. The objective 146 may be a 20× objective. Theobjective 148 may be a 40× objective. Signals from the camera sensorsand controller are supplied over a bus 128 to the image acquisitionsystem where they are digitized and supplied to the PCI bus for storagein RAM or for backing storage on the hard disk 62.

When a specimen is on the slide 18 the stage 20 may be manipulated underthe control of the computer through a stage controller 160 coupled tothe serial I/O controller 122. Likewise, a microscope controller 162controls aspects of the microscope such as the illumination, the colortemperature or spectral output of a lamp 168 and the like. For instance,in normal operation, when a specimen is placed on the slide, specimenslide 18 is placed on the stage 20 in a step 200, as shown in FIG. 14,the processors 42 or 44 send a command through the system bus to causethe serial I/O controller 122 to signal the microscope controller tochange magnification to 1.25× in a step 202. This is done by rotatingthe objective turret of the Axioplan 2 microscope to select theobjective 144. Likewise, the controller sets the color temperature ofthe lamp 168, sets a pair of neutral density filter wheels 170 and 172and sets a field diaphragm 174 for the correct illumination. A condenserdiaphragm 176 is also controlled and a color filter wheel 180 may alsobe controlled to apply the appropriate filter color to the CCD censors126 in the camera. The entire slide is then scanned in a step 204. Theimages are tiled and melded together into the overall image 24 suppliedon the screen 22 to provide the operator in the step 206 with a visuallyinspectable macro image of relevant regions of the slide of interest.

In order to provide the magnified image, the mouse may be moved toidentify a marker segment or region which, for instance, may be arectangular region which will cause the microscope to changemagnification as at step 208 to 4×, 20×, 40×, etc., by rotating theturret to bring the appropriate objective lens system into viewingposition.

Next the user, in a step 209 a, uses the mouse to select the region onthe macro image in order to select the micro image to be viewed on thescreen 22. In a step 209 b a test is made to determine whether the userhas commanded continued inspection. If the user has, a test is made in astep 209 c to determine if the magnification is to be changed bychanging the selected objective. In the event the magnification is to bechanged control is transferred to the step 208. If the magnification isto remain unchanged control is transferred to the step 209 a. In theevent inspection is not to continue the region selected is outlined forhigher magnification scan in a step 209 d. In a step 209 e, a commandmay be received to scan or acquire the higher magnification image fordisplay in screen 26. The image may then be archived for later analysis,displayed or analyzed immediately.

In order to perform the magnification called for in step 208, theoverall illumination and control of the microscope will be controlled sothat in a step 210 the objective turret 142 will be rotated to place thehigher power objective above the slide 18. In a step 212 voltage to thelamp will be changed to adjust the lamp 168 to provide the properillumination and color temperature as predetermined for the selectedobjective. In a step 214, the condenser diaphragm 176 will have itsopening-selected as appropriate to provide the proper illumination forthat objective. In a step 216, the filter turret 180 will select theproper light wavelength filter to be supplied to the camera sensors. Forinstance, a red, blue or green filter, as appropriate, particularly ifthe specimen has been stained. In a step 218 the field diaphragm 174will have its opening changed. In a step 220 the neutral density filterwheel 170 will select a neutral density filter and in a step 222 theneutral density filter wheel 172 will also select a neutral densityfilter. In a step 224 the X, Y and Z offsets will be used forreconstruction of the recorded position will be read from encoders inthe stage which are accurate to 0.10 micron.

In order to identify the selected region the mouse is moved to that areaof the region in a pointing operation in a step 240 as shown in FIG. 14.The mouse may be moved to draw a box around the region selected. In astep 242 the X and Y screen points are computed for the edges of theregions selected and the computed image or pixel points are translatedto stage coordinate points in order to control the stage of themicroscope. In a step 244 a list of all of the X fields for positioningthe stage for the objective is stored in random access memory and may bebacked up on the hard disk. The information from the X offsets for theobjective and the stage offsets is used as well as the size of the fieldto position the slide properly under the objective to capture the microimage.

When the slide has been positioned properly, as shown in FIG. 15 in astep 250 the stage is positioned for each of the X and Y coordinatevalues in stage coordinate values and the digitized image is captured bythe cameras and stored in RAM and backed up on the hard disk. The imagemay be then analyzed quantitatively in various manners such as those setforth in the previously-identified United States application. Optionallythe image may be stored for archival purposes in a step 254.

In order to override the specific control functions that take place asshown in FIG. 12, a screen is provided as shown in FIG. 13 wherein theX-Y step size can be edited, the X, Y and Z offset can be edited, thelamp voltage can be selected, the neutral density filter can be selectedas well as the opening of the field diaphragm and several othermicroscopic characteristics. FIG. 13 is a view of the settings of themicroscope objective properties of the Axioplan 2, computer-controlledmicroscope.

The X and Y positioning is specifically carried out as shown in FIG. 16where the slide 18 is shown with a slide boundary 270, 272, 274 and 276.Stage boundary for limits of the stage travel for purposes of the stagethe stage can be moved all the way from an upper left hand corner oftravel 276 to a lower right hand corner of travel 280. At the upper lefthand bounded corner of travel 278 limits which a signal that the end oftravel has been reached and the stage is then translated a shortdistance 282 in the extra action and a short distance 284 in the Ydirection to define the first tile 288 in terms of a reference point 290at its upper left hand corner. Since the size of the macro image tile288 is known, the next macro image tile 292 may be placed contiguouswith it by moving the stage appropriately and by measuring the locationof the stage from the stage in counters without the necessity ofperforming any image manipulation. The image tiles 288 and 292 may beabutted without any substantial overlap or they may be overlappedslightly, such as a one pixel with overlap, which is negligible insofaras blurring of any adjacent edges of abutted image tiles. The upper lefthand corner 300 of the tile 292 defines the rest of 292 and other tilescan be so defined. Micro image tiles can likewise be defined so thatthey are contiguous but not substantially overlapping, as wouldinterfere with the composite image. This avoids the problems encounteredwith having to perform extended computations on digital images in aframe storer or multiple frame storage in order to match or bring theimages into contiguity without blurriness at the edges of contiguousimage tiles. It may be appreciated that the low power image 24 has aplurality of micro images defined therein which are tiled and which areshown in higher magnification as individual tiles 312, 314, 316 and thelike. In addition, the region 310 when magnified as shown in the window26 may exceed the bounds of the window and thus the window may includescroll bars or other means for allowing the image 310 which is largerthan the window 26 to be examined from within the window 26.

The stage 200 is best seen in FIG. 16A and includes the X and Y steppermotors 279 and 281 with their respective encoders, which provide aclosed loop system to give the 0.1 micron accuracy versus the usual 5 or6 micron accuracy of most microscope stages without a closed loopsystem. This closed loop system and this very high accuracy allow theabutting of the tile images for both high magnification and lowmagnification images without the substantial overlap and thetime-consuming and expensive software currently used to eliminate theoverlap and blurriness at the overlapping edges of adjacent image tiles.With the precisely positioned stage and by using the tiling systemdescribed in connection with FIG. 16, where the slide is preciselypositioned relative to a center point CP for the slide, and the knownposition of point 278 is always taken from the same point, the tiles maybe positioned precisely in a horizontal row and precisely in verticalrows to reconstruct the macro image and the micro image. Thisreconstruction is done without the use, as in the prior art, ofextensive software manipulation to eliminate overlapping image tiles,horizontally or vertically or the haphazard orientation of image tiles.

The present invention also includes the facility for allowing remoteobservation to occur by being able to couple the system either over anetwork communication facility to an intranet, for instance via thenetwork interface, or via a modem or other suitable connection, to aninternet so that once the image has been scanned and stored in memory onhard disks or other storage, remote users may be able to access the lowmagnification image as well as the high magnification image and movearound within both images to make determinations as to the histologicalcharacteristics of the samples.

An additional feature of the system includes a plurality of networkedworkstations coupled to a first computer console 12 having a displayscreen 22 connected to the microscope 14. Satellite work stations 350and 352 are substantially identical to the work station 12 includingrespective computers 354 and 356 coupled to displays 358 and 360. Thedevices can be manipulated through input devices 360 and 362 which mayinclude a keyboard, mouse and the like. Also a third device can beconnected including a work station 370, having a display 372, a computer374 and an input device 376. Each of the devices is connected overrespective network lines 380, 382, 384 to the computer 12 whichtransmission may be via either net or the like. Each of the differentoperators at the physically separate viewing stations can locate regionsfrom the view of entire tissue cross sections via a macro view and labelthe regions for subsequent scanning and/or quantitative analysis. Asingle operator at the instrument station 12 can locate regions to viewthe entire tissue cross section. Those regions can be labeled forsubsequent scanning and/or quantitative analysis with subsequent reviewand physically remote viewing stations, for instance, in an operatingroom or in individual pathologists' signout areas in order to reviewanalysis results while still maintaining and reviewing the entire macroview of the tissue and/or the individual stored images from which thequantitative results were obtained. The viewing stations 350, 352 and370 can comprise desk top computers, laptops, etc. There is no need fora microscope at the network stations 350, 352 and 370.

In a still further alternative embodiment, remote workstations 400, 402,404, 406 and 408 may be connected through a server 410 which may besupplied via a packet switched network. The server 410 and may be ahypertext transport protocol based server of the type used for the WorldWide Web or may be a telnet type server as used previously in internetremote operation applications. The server 410 communicates via acommunications channel 414 with a local computer 416 having a display418 associated therewith, the local computer 416 being connected to themicroscope 420. Each of the remote work stations 400, 402, 404, 406 and408 may perform the same operations as the stations 350, 352 and 370although they do it from nearby buildings or even from around the world,thus providing additional flexibility for others to make use of thespecimen obtained and being viewed under the microscope 420. Inaddition, stored images may be disseminated through the server 410 tothe remote servers 400 through 408 for further analysis and review.

The server was designed to interact with either a thin client browser orwith a Java applet viewer, operating through an HTML browser such asNetscape or the Microsoft Internet Explorer.

The server runs on a standard PC under a Windows operating system. Ituses HTTP Internet communication protocols. The computer has stored onits storage media already collected data files having the data structuredisclosed above. This data structure consists of “tiled” sets of digitalimages, with x, y information organized to aid the viewer program to“reconstruct” and spatially align physically-contiguous images, atmultiple resolutions. The server responds to HTTP “Get” requests frommultiple thin client browsers or other browsers with embedded Javaapplet viewers. As such, it uses a “listening socket” and a number ofshort-lived “threads” which handle “Get” requests independently andsimultaneously, as shown in FIG. 28.

After initial logic, as shown in FIG. 29, to determine whether the HTTPrequest is valid and, if so, whether it is a Java request for a thinclient request, the server generates a response thread, depending uponthe request as detailed in Table 1, to send back the requestedinformation to the client. Large numbers of these requests can behandled at one time.

The server 12 was designed to interact with a client having either athin client browser or with a Java applet viewer, operating through anHTML browser such as Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer.

The server 12 runs on a standard PC under a Windows operating system. Ituses the HTTP communication protocol. The computer 12 has stored on itsstorage media already collected data files of with the data structuredisclosed in U.S. application Ser. No. 09/032,514, filed Feb. 27, 1998,which is incorporated herein by reference. This data structure consistsof “tiled” sets of digital images, with x, y information organized toaid the viewer program to “reconstruct” and spatially alignphysically-contiguous images, at multiple resolutions. The serverresponds to HTTP “GET” requests from multiple thin client browsers orother browsers with embedded Java applet viewers. As such, it uses a“listening socket” and a number of short-lived “threads” which handle“GET” requests independently and simultaneously, as shown in FIG. 19.

After initial logic, as shown in FIG. 20, to determine whether the HTTPrequest is valid and, if so, whether it is a Java request or a thinclient request, the server generates a response thread, depending uponthe request as detailed in Table 4, to send back the requestedinformation to the client. Large numbers of these requests can behandled at one time.

TABLE 4 Client - Server “GET” Interactions Client Requests ServerResponses Login Request > < Acknowledges User Name Assigns and sends ID#to Client Nickname E-mail address Slide Tray Request > < Sends SlideTray Information List of image names and URL path locations on theserver, extracted folder names and header text Update Request > < Sendssame information to requesting Client, User Name for all of Clientscurrently logged in, i.e., User Nickname Name, Nickname, etc. E-mailaddress Tray index Slide Name Slide View Window Information Zoom Levelx, y position Field View Window Information Zoom Level x, y positionAction Status Pointer Location x, y Chat Buffer Index Chat LineRequest > < Sends Chat Line message string ID# Select Slide Request > <Sends x, y coordinate list for all tiles Modified URL Path of SelectedSlide associated with clients selected URL and the Preview Slide image.Image Request > < Send specified image, e.g., an image tile or thumbnailimage Logoff Request > < Acknowledge Release User ID# Java AppletRequest > < Send Java Applet Java Login and Virtual Slide Request > <Send thumbnail and Preview Images and x, y Slide Name list of titleimages Verify Server Identity Java Image Tile Request > < Send requestedimage tile

In addition to the tiled image data, and the x, y coordinate lists foreach tile of the image data, as set forth in Table 5 below there areseveral small reconstructed images that are stored in the individualfolder, or on the server. These facilitate bringing image content to theclient viewing screen rapidly, and can be used as an aid in determiningwhat viewing options to choose in the various viewing programs.

TABLE 5 DA0 JPG 57,996 Da0.jpg Da1 JPG 75,646 Da1.jpg Da10 JPG 75,874Da10.jpg Da100 JPG 61,564 Da100.jpg Da101 JPG 65,982 Da101.jpg Da102 JPG76,912 Da102.jpg Da103 JPG 75,729 Da103.jpg Da104 JPG 70,727 Da104.jpgDa105 JPG 68,184 Da105.jpg Da106 JPG 73,355 Da106.jpg Da107 JPG 21,296Da107.jpg Da108 JPG 29,384 Da108.jpg Da109 JPG 28,163 Da109.jpg Da11 JPG79,808 Da11.jpg Da110 JPG 76,373 Da110.jpg Da111 JPG 35,540 Da111.jpgDa112 JPG 21,293 Da112.jpg Da113 JPG 34,366 Da113.jpg Da114 JPG 76,120Da114.jpg Da115 JPG 70,933 Da115.jpg Da116 JPG 47,658 Da116.jpg Da117JPG 77,465 Da117.jpg Da118 JPG 79,024 Da118.jpg Da119 JPG 78,256Da119.jpg Da12 JPG 72,381 Da12.jpg Da120 JPG 76,733 Da120.jpg Da121 JPG79,086 Da121.jpg Da122 JPG 79,003 Da122.jpg Da123 JPG 71,881 Da123.jpgDa124 JPG 75,408 Da124.jpg Da125 JPG 74,486 Da125.jpg Da126 JPG 80,568Da126.jpg Da127 JPG 79,061 Da127.jpg Da128 JPG 79,495 Da128.jpg Da129JPG 70,019 Da129.jpg Da13 JPG 73,489 Da13.jpg Da14 JPG 76,530 Da14.jpgDa15 JPG 76,353 Da15.jpg Da16 JPG 29,611 Da16.jpg Da17 JPG 72,668Da17.jpg Da18 JPG 66,130 Da18.jpg Da19 JPG 83,813 Da19.jpg Da2 JPG76,115 Da2.jpg Da20 JPG 69,762 Da20.jpg Da21 JPG 79,036 Da21.jpg Da22JPG 80,779 Da22.jpg Da23 JPG 38,576 Da23.jpg Da24 JPG 65,975 Da24.jpgDa25 JPG 73,812 Da25.jpg Da26 JPG 80,660 Da26.jpg Da27 JPG 72,939Da27.jpg Da28 JPG 88,332 Da28.jpg Da29 JPG 66,672 Da29.jpg Da3 JPG78,399 Da3.jpg Da30 JPG 29,994 Da30.jpg Da31 JPG 57,465 Da31.jpg Da32JPG 74,006 Da32.jpg Da33 JPG 78,765 Da33.jpg Da34 JPG 54,120 Da34.jpgDa35 JPG 82,550 Da35.jpg Da36 JPG 63,735 Da36.jpg Da37 JPG 41,253Da37.jpg Da38 JPG 69,759 Da38.jpg Da39 JPG 49,376 Da39.jpg Da4 JPG77,922 Da4.jpg Da40 JPG 52,514 Da40.jpg Da41 JPG 68,291 Da41.jpg Da42JPG 69,726 Da42.jpg Da43 JPG 79,840 Da43.jpg Da44 JPG 80,526 Da44.jpgDa45 JPG 84,245 Da45.jpg Da46 JPG 50,315 Da46.jpg Da47 JPG 73,069Da47.jpg Da48 JPG 73,188 Da48.jpg Da49 JPG 69,155 Da49.jpg Da5 JPG69,257 Da5.jpg Da50 JPG 69,087 Da50.jpg Da51 JPG 74,156 Da51.jpg Da52JPG 82,847 Da52.jpg Da53 JPG 74,838 Da53.jpg Da54 JPG 69,003 Da54.jpgDa55 JPG 73,524 Da55.jpg Da56 JPG 65,242 Da56.jpg Da57 JPG 67,796Da57.jpg Da58 JPG 70,367 Da58.jpg Da59 JPG 39,998 Da59.jpg Da6 JPG68,210 Da6.jpg Da60 JPG 14,487 Da60.jpg Da61 JPG 76,801 Da61.jpg Da62JPG 74,394 Da62.jpg Da63 JPG 69,446 Da63.jpg Da64 JPG 63,296 Da64.jpgDa65 JPG 17,568 Da65.jpg Da66 JPG 71,935 Da66.jpg Da67 JPG 71,736Da67.jpg Da68 JPG 67,406 Da68.jpg Da69 JPG 74,488 Da69.jpg Da7 JPG69,660 Da7.jpg Da70 JPG 45,382 Da70.jpg Da71 JPG 69,849 Da71.jpg Da72JPG 12,009 Da72.jpg Da73 JPG 62,862 Da73.jpg Da74 JPG 68,522 Da74.jpgDa75 JPG 67,734 Da75.jpg Da76 JPG 60,510 Da76.jpg Da77 JPG 28,689Da77.jpg Da78 JPG 68,839 Da78.jpg Da79 JPG 67,137 Da79.jpg Da8 JPG71,914 Da8.jpg Da80 JPG 65,232 Da80.jpg Da81 JPG 78,365 Da81.jpg Da82JPG 63,535 Da82.jpg Da83 JPG 74,889 Da83.jpg Da84 JPG 71,895 Da84.jpgDa85 JPG 65,744 Da85.jpg Da86 JPG 76,849 Da86.jpg Da87 JPG 74,373Da87.jpg Da88 JPG 73,449 Da88.jpg Da89 JPG 69,255 Da89.jpg Da9 JPG74,054 Da9.jpg Da90 JPG 65,637 Da90.jpg Da91 JPG 62,566 Da91.jpg Da92JPG 75,703 Da92.jpg Da93 JPG 70,315 Da93.jpg Da94 JPG 63,884 Da94.jpgDa95 JPG 62,949 Da95.jpg Da96 JPG 69,046 Da96.jpg Da97 JPG 77,595Da97.jpg Da98 JPG 71,528 Da98.jpg Da99 JPG 58,862 Da99.jpg

Each image has a PreviewSlide.jpg image contained in its data structure.This is a “thumbnail” image reconstructed from all of the tiles from thelow magnification, 1.25× slide view image tiles. The reconstructedcomposite image has been digitally reduced to an image size of 454×240.During server startup, for each data structure found as described below,this Preview Slide image is further converted to an additional thumbnailimage of 232×120. The use of the Preview Slide and thumbnail images willbe described below. Also, if specific HTML Java applet views have beenchosen, four reconstructed .jpg images from each view, corresponding tofour different magnifications have also been stored on the server, asdescribed in detail below under the Java applet creator description andimage viewer descriptions.

FIGS. 21A, 21B and 22 illustrate two different virtual microscope slideviewing implementations. These suit two different needs. The thin clientbrowser has three screens and many more functions. As described in moredetail below, there is a main screen that displays the thumbnail PreviewSlide image, and uses a tabbed interface to implement differentfunctionalities to the browser. Some of these important functionalitiesare: (1) a SlideTray tab, which allows for the selection of any of thestored images hosted on the server computer; (2) a server tab, whichallows coordination of views and chats with multiple other clients alllogged-in at the same time; and (3) an Applet Creation tab to selectspecific region views for HTML applets viewed by the Java Applet viewer.The other two windows, Slide View and Field View, allow viewing oflow-magnification tiled images and high-magnification tiled images withscrolling and coordination between the two views.

The thin client browser is more suited to secondary opinion expertpathology consultations, and sophisticated professional pathology usersin departmental pathology practice, for review of cases and as archivalbackup virtual slide records. In operation, the browser program isloaded separately, once on a client computer. After that it can be usedto access any number of servers, as described below, by simply typing inthe Internet address of the server. It is faster than the JAVA appletsbecause it comprises code which is already compiled, and is not basedupon interpreted applet execution. It is unnecessary to load the thinclient browser for every virtual microscope slide viewed. Duringcreation of the image, only smaller regions of specific diagnosticmaterial need be scanned at high magnification, thus saving time duringthe scanning process.

The HTML applet viewer is simpler than the thin client browser, and maybe used in medical student, dental student, veterinary and undergraduatebiology teaching situations. Advantage is taken of the fact that moststudents are familiar with an HTML browser. Instructors can easily addcourse “content” text to provide different descriptions of the virtualmicroscope slide images. Since the virtual microscope slides will oftenbe used for longer periods, and since there is no premium on speed ofscanning, entire specimens can be scanned offline at high magnificationwhich takes a longer time. In this viewer simply acts as a “portal” or asmall window, in a fixed position on a specific HTML page.

As described below, each applet instance relates to a specific image ona specific server computer. There are two parts to the view, the upperpart of the portal is a display of the Preview Slide image. The bottompart of the portal initially shows a selected view from that image atone of four magnifications. A plurality of radio button choices loadedon a bar between the views allows for additional magnification choicesin the bottom view. The bottom view is also scrollable, and can bechanged by pointing the mouse to a region on the Preview Slide image.

It will be appreciated that this viewer is simpler to learn initiallyand to operate than the thin client browser. It has the disadvantage ofbeing slower and of only addressing one image at a time. It has anadvantage of being simple, having various types of explanatory textright next to the image, and of being cross platform with regard tooperating system, computer type and HTML browser type. These are allhelpful in the educational market.

The Slide Tray concept is used in the server and the browser programsand is central to providing an organizational construct to collectionsof images. It is set forth in Table 6 below.

TABLE 6 FINALS˜1 INI 3,902 FinalScan.ini PREVIE˜1 JPG 6,210PreviewSlide.jpg SLIDES˜1 INI 654 SlideScan.ini SS1 JPG 10,285 SS1.jpgSS10 JPG 63,150 SS10.jpg SS11 JPG 70,838 SS11.jpg SS12 JPG 15,535SS12.jpg SS13 JPG 12,071 SS13.jpg SS14 JPG 73,847 SS14.jpg SS15 JPG70,783 SS15.jpg SS16 JPG 25,178 SS16.jpg SS17 JPG 2,983 SS17.jpg SS18JPG 9,035 SS18.jpg SS19 JPG 15,629 SS19.jpg SS2 JPG 25,194 SS2.jpg SS20JPG 4,200 SS20.jpg SS3 JPG 9,936 SS3.jpg SS4 JPG 10,118 SS4.jpg SS5 JPG4,559 SS5.jpg SS6 JPG 35,961 SS6.jpg SS7 JPG 86,933 SS7.jpg SS8 JPG16,212 SS8.jpg SS9 JPG 33,872 Ss9.jpg [Header] tPatientID=ProstatetAccession= tOperatorID= tTimeOfScan=9/17/98 4:56:31 PM1XStageRef=278000 1YStageRef=142500 iImageWidth=752 iImageHeight=4801XStepSize=1588 1YStepSize=1184 1XOffset=0 1YOffset=0 dMagnification=40tImageType=.jpg iFinalImageQuality=60 1AnalysisImageCount=1301CalibrationImageCount=0 iiTotalBytes=9221691 tFolder=Test WSTP [Da0]x=164208 y=45264 [Da1] x=162672 y=45264 [Da2] x=161136 y=45264 [Da3]x=159600 y=45264 [Da4] x=158064 y=45264 [Da5] x=156528 y=45264 [Da6]x=154992 y=45264 [Da7] x=164208 y=44080 [Da8] x=162672 y=44080 [Da9]x=161136 y=44080 [Da10] x=159600 y=44080 [Da11] x=158064 y=44080 [Da12]x=156528 y=44080 [Da13] x=154992 y=44080 [Da14] x=164208 y=42896 [Da15]x=162672 y=42896 [Da16] x=161136 y=42896 [Da17] x=159600 y=42896 [Da18]x=158064 y=42896 [Da19] x=156528 y=42896 [Da20] x=154992 y=42896 [Da21]x=164208 y=41712 [Da22] x=162672 y=41712 [Da23] x=161136 y=41712 [Da24]x=159600 y=41712 [Da25] x=158064 y=41712 [Da26] x=156528 y=41712 [Da27]x=154992 y=41712 [Da28] x=164208 y=40528 [Da29] x=162672 y=40528 [Da30]x= 161136 y=40528 [Da31] x=159600 y=40528 [Da32] x=158064 y=40528 [Da33]x=156528 y=40528 [Da34] x=154992 y=40528 [Da35] x=164206 y=39344 [Da36]x=162672 y=39344 [Da37] x=161136 y=39344 [Da38] x=159600 y=39344 [Da39]x=158064 y=39344 [Da40] x=156528 y= 39344 [Da41] x=154992 y=39344 [Da42]x=164208 y=38160 [Da43] x=162672 y=38160 [Da44] x=161136 y=38160 [Da45]x=159600 y=38160 [Da46] x=158064 y=38160 [Da47] x=156528 y=38160 [Da48]x=154992 y=38160 [Da49] x=164208 y=36976 [Da50] x=162672 y=36976 [Da51]x=161136 y=36976 [Da52] x= 159600 y=36976 [Da53] x=158064 y=36976 [Da54]x=156528 y=36976 [Da55] x=154992 y=36976 [Da56] x=130160 y=48076 [Da57]x=128624 y=48076 [Da58] x=127088 y=48076 [Da59] x= 125552 y=48076 [Da60]x=124016 y=48076 [Da61] x=130160 y=46892 [Da62] x=128624 y=46892 [Da63]x=127088 y=46892 [Da64] x=125552 y=46892 [Da65] x=124016 y=46892 [Da66]x=130160 y=45708 [Da67] x=128624 y=45708 [Da68] x=127088 y=45708 [Da69]x= 125552 y=45708 [Da70] x=124016 y=45708 [Da71] x=130160 y=44524 [Da72]x=128624 y=44524 [Da73] x=127088 y=44524 [Da74] x=125552 y=44524 [Da75]x=124016 y=44524 [Da76] x=130160 y=43340 [Da77] x=128624 y=43340 [Da78]x=127088 y=43340 [Da79] x= 125552 y=43340 [Da80] x=124016 y=43340 [Da81]x= 130160 y=42156 [Da82] x=128624 y=42156 [Da83] x=127088 y=42156 [Da84]x=125552 y=42156 [Da85] x=124016 y=42156 [Da86] x=130160 y=40972 [Da87]x=128624 y=40972 [Da88] x=127088 y=40972 [Da89] x=125552 y=40972 [Da90]x=124016 y=40972 [Da91] x=130160 y=39788 [Da92] x=128624 y=39788 [Da93]x=127088 y=39788 [Da94] x=125552 y=39788 [Da95] x=124016 y=39788 [Da96]x=130160 y=38604 [Da97] x=128624 y=38604 [Da98] x=127088 y=38604 [Da99]x=125552 y=38604 [Da100] x=124016 y=38604 [Da101] x=130160 y=37420[Da102] x=128624 y=37420 [Da103] x=127088 y=37420 [Da104] x=125552y=37420 [Da105] x= 124016 y=37420 [Da106] x=148848 y=24988 [[Da107]x=147312 y=24988 [Da108] x=145776 y=24988 [Da109] x=144240 y=24988[Da110] x=148848 y=23804 [Da111] x=147312 y=23804 [Da112] x=145776y=23804 [Da113] x=144240 y=23804 [Da114] x=148848 y=22620 [Da115]x=147312 y=22620 [Da116] x=145776 y=22620 [Da117] x=144240 y=22620[Da118] x=148848 y=21436 [Da119] x=147312 y=21436 [Da120] x=145776y=21436 [Da121] x= 144240 y= 21436 [Da122] x=148848 y=20252 [Da123]x=147312 y=20252 [Da124] x=145776 y=20252 [Da125] x=144240 y=20252[Da126] x=148848 y=19068 [Da127] x=147312 y=19068 [Da128] x=145776y=19063 [Da129] x=144240 y=19068

It provides a flexible filing structure, whether the images are locatedin multiple places on a computer running a server program, or arecollections held on removable storage media such as CD-ROMs and are justbeing viewed locally. The image data structure includes two modifiabletext string byte arrays which are used to hold the file name and thefolder name that identifies an individual image. When the server programis initiated, it searches all of its available storage (indicated in asetup file), finds any images present, reads the folder names and thefile names of all of the images and creates URL path extensions for eachone.

When the image browser initially starts its Main Window looks like FIG.24. This is before a Login request has been initiated. The browser firstsends a client Login Request using a specific server Internet address,such as shown in the address line of FIG. 20, and as indicated in Table4. After the Login Request has been acknowledged, the browser then sendsa Slide Tray Request. The server response to this is to send the list ofimage names and header text, their associated file folders, and the URLpath extensions depending upon various image data structure storagelocations on the server. The browser then constructs and displays in theSlide Tray tab of its main window a file folder tree structure displaysuch as shown in FIG. 25. This is a dynamic display, such that a mouseclick on the file folder opens up the file and displays its containedimages. The browser responses are set forth in Tale 7 below.

TABLE 7 tResponse := tResponse + IntToStr0j0 + ‘&’; tResponse :=tResponse + FrmMain.Client[j].tuserName + ‘&’; tResponse := tResponse +FrmMain.Client[j].tNickName + ‘&’; tResponse := tResponse +FrmMain.Client[j].tEmail + ‘&’; tResponse := tResponse +FrmMain.Client[j].tTrayIndex + ‘&’; tResponse := tResponse +FrmMain.Client[j].tSlide + ‘&’; tResponse := tResponse +FrmMain.Client[j].tSlideZoomLevel + ‘&’; tResponse := tResponse +FrmMain.Client[j].tSlideXRef + ‘&’; tResponse := tResponse +FrmMain.Client[j].tSlideYRef + ‘&’; tResponse := tResponse +FrmMain.Client[j].tFinalZoomLevel + ‘&’; tResponse := tResponse +FrmMain.Client[j].tXRef + ‘&’; tResponse := tResponse +FrmMain.Client[j].tYRef + ‘&’; tResponse := tResponse +FrmMain.Client[j].tSlideScanMode + ‘&’; tResponse := tResponse +FrmMain.Client[j].tPointerX + ‘&’; tResponse := tResponse +FrmMain.Client[j].tPointerY + ‘&’; if FrmMain.bLogoffClients thentResponse := tResponse + ‘Server logoff issued...&’ else tResponse :=tResponse + FrmMain.Client[j].tStatus + ‘&’; Inc(iCount); end; end;

A mouse click on a specific image file name activates a client ImageRequest to the server, and the server sends back the requested thumbnailimage which is displayed in the tab image area, as shown in FIG. 25. Ifone of the virtual microscope images is of further interest for moredetailed observation, it can be retrieved by further mouse clicks,either on the thumbnail image or by a double click on the Slide Traytree structure file name. In this case, the client browser sends aSelect Slide Request. As indicated in Table 1, the server then sends thelarger Preview Slide image along with the x, y coordinate list of allimage tiles associated with that virtual slide. The tab changes from theSlide Tray to the image tab and the Preview Slide image is displayed inthe image display area, as shown in FIG. 26.

One of the advantages of this virtual slide tray organizational designis that the folder names are carried as part of the image data setstructure. This is different from a standard file structure where thefile name is created and files are moved into the created folder. In avirtual microscope slide environment, collections of slides may comefrom different sources, e.g., on CD-ROMs or other storage media. Thismethod carries the file folder information with the slide. The servercan then automatically organize, on startup, all of the file foldersdepending upon the media in place at that time. For read/write media,the folder names can be edited to put specific images into differentfolders. This method also allows for automatic folder generation duringthe image creation process, which reduces the possibility of mixup forcollections of slides that go together.

As described above, the image data set is created initially by scanningthe microscope slide at two different magnifications. The initial scan,which is referred to as the Slide View scan, is performed with a 1.25×objective lens and can potentially use as many as 8×10, or 80 tiles, tocover the region of tissue or cells deposited on the slide. The second,higher-magnification scan is referred to as the Field View scan, and canoccupy variable regions. These regions are mapped to the Slide Viewregions, and can be shown as overlaid areas.

As shown in FIG. 22, there are a number of overlays in the image tab ofthe main image browser window that can be used as aids in navigating theimages. Two of these are shown there. They indicate potential regionsthat could have been scanned and those that were actually scanned on thespecimen. Clicking on one of these regions, using the mouse as apointer, instructs the browser to bring up the Slide Scan window, asshown in FIG. 27. Depending upon the size of the Slide View window andthe location point specified in the Preview Slide image, the browserprogram can use the x, y image list and associated URL information thatwas transferred in response to the Select Slide Request to determinewhich Slide View scan image tiles are necessary. The browser then issuesan Image Request for each image tile and paints in the received tiles tofill in the image display area in the window.

There are optional navigation overlays for this window also. Theillustrated overlay shows regions where higher-magnification image tilesexist in the image data structure. By clicking in the region of one ofthese tiles, the browser is instructed to bring up its third window, theField View window, shown overlain on top of the other two windows inFIG. 28. It uses the same procedure, e.g., the size of the Field Viewwindow to determine which high-magnification image tiles to request. Thesize of the Field View and Slide View windows can be changed to suit theuser, for example, to fill the available viewing screen, and the browserprogram will request and fill in the necessary tiles to fill the viewingarea.

A number of other viewing options are available, including changing thedigital image magnification, i.e., lowering from 40× to 5×. In thiscase, more tiles are requested to fill in the available viewing area.The combination of the ability to change the various windows positionand size, and the digital magnification (zoom) allows for fullinspection of the virtual microscope specimen at high and lowmagnifications throughout the entire specimen. As additional image tilesare requested, they are cached locally so that additional inspectionbecomes quicker.

FIG. 29 is a flow chart of typical usage to further illustrate theabove. This flow chart is shown as a sequence of related steps sincesome should occur before others and this is a typical sequence. However,it should be appreciated that the browser is multi-threaded as well asevent driven. Most of the time, for example, the Update Request processis running on its own thread concurrently with client user event-drivenprocesses, a shown in FIG. 29.

Referring back to FIGS. 18 and 19, Table 4 and the server description,it is clear that multiple clients can be logged-in at one time. All suchclients independently view the same or different images. The design ofthe total combined system or all components is more powerful than that,however, through the use of the Update Request indicated in Table 1.Update Requests are generated by each user logged in the client browserat one-second intervals. Through the use of these Update Requests, theserver is essentially functioning as a total system “state machine” forall of the logged-in users. Since each user is assigned an ID numberupon login, the server can pass information regarding all of the otherlogged-in users, with regard to which slide they are viewing, where onthat slide they are looking, the status of any pointer locations, etc.This all happens at one-second intervals for all logged-in clients. Thebrowser then can use this information if desired to view the same imagesseen by other clients. This essentially means that the network of clientviewers operates as a virtual multi-headed microscope, letting eachother simultaneously view the same virtual slide.

Additional features of the browser, as shown in FIG. 30, enhance thiscapability. The server tab in the main browser window, shown in FIG. 30,is used to activate a multi-headed virtual microscope function. Abrowser logged onto a server initially displays only the current user'sinformation in the server tab. As Update Requests are serviced, ifadditional clients log onto the same server that information is alsodisplayed in the Server tab, using additional login lines.

FIG. 30 shows two users logged into the same server. Also shown arebuttons “Display another's view” and “Sync with another's view”Afterpoint and click highlighting of one of the logged-in user lines, thecurrent user can then, for example, click on the button “Displayanother's view” and the browser will use the last update information onthat user to send a Select Slide Request, and whatever Image Tilerequests are necessary to display the same image view that the user islooking at. In a similar manner, if the user clicked on “Sync withanother's view” then the browser would continue to use the updaterequests to change fields, zoom levels, etc. In the meantime, thevarious clients involved could communicate through the chat screen aboutthe specimen under consideration.

As shown in FIG. 28, a pointer may be drawn at any x, y location on animage screen view. A right click mouse event on an image where thepointer is desired activates program code which creates a pop-up menu,as shown in FIG. 31. When the “Set the Pointer” menu option is chosen,the position of the pointer is computed in x, y stage coordinate unitsand those position values are put in the main window Pointer tab andkept in memory to pass along to the server on the next update. Also, apointer is placed on the image, as shown in FIG. 32. when anotherclient, logged on at the same time, activates “Display another's view”(as shown in FIG. 30) for the client displaying the pointer, then thatsecond client's browser would use the Update Request transferred x, ypointer position from the first client to put a pointer on the secondclient's image, after any Image Requests to the server were satisfied.In this way, two clients can pass arrows back and forth.

This is additionally facilitated by the right click mouse menu that eachcan use when she has the same image in front of her. Usually, thisoccurs when both parties are on the telephone, using the Internet andtalking to each other while they move pointers back and forth, orsynchronize on each other's views as desired.

They can also communicate through the Chat process using the Server tab,as shown in FIG. 28, or through e-mail through the Server tab. It shouldbe appreciated that more than two clients may be logged on andparticipate in this process. This provides a multi-headed virtualmicroscope environment with pointers for multiple client userssimultaneously.

One of the most important technological improvements in the “tiling”methodology is the improved resolution of image capture and displaycompared to previous methods of capturing images and transferring themover the Internet. The reason for this relates to microscopy opticalresolution compared to digital camera sensor resolution, and the limited“field of view” imposed by the aperture sizes of the microscopy system.In order to match the optical resolution to the digital sensorresolution at high magnification with readily-available sensors, only asmall part of the specimen can be captured at one time. Attempting tocapture a larger view, e.g., with a lower magnification (and as a resultlower optical resolution) objective microscope lens onto digital camerasensor, and then digitally magnifying the resulting captured image,results in “pixelated” “false” magnification. Tiled images can becaptured at a matching pixel and optical resolution, and displayedseamlessly by the present invention, to achieve true virtual images. Thesame method automatically overcomes the limited “field of view” issue topreserve high resolution over large-areas in the originalhigh-magnification image plane of the microscope specimen.

The method of retrieving and displaying these tiles as a coherentconnected image is depicted in the flow diagram of FIG. 33. This flowdiagram is relevant for choosing by a point and click, an image point inthe Preview Slide image of the main browser window to open and displaythe Slide View window (or to choose another region to display in analready open Slide View window), or to open and display at a highermagnification the Field View window from a point in the Slide Viewwindow, or to display image areas not already pre-loaded in the Javaapplet portal window in an HTML browser page. An important factor inaccomplishing seamless tiled image display according to the methods ofthis invention is to maintain an image x, y pixel reference to theoriginal mechanical stage x, y coordinate reference. In the preferredembodiment, the x, y stage resolution is 0.1 micrometers per step. Eachimage tile is a known number of pixels, in this instance 752×480 pixels.Through calibration setup procedures during instrument construction, thenumber of stage coordinate steps per pixel is determined. This variesslightly from system to system and is different for each microscopeobjective. It is therefore recorded as part of each image data set.Table 8 shows some typical examples of one system.

TABLE 8 Example Stage x, y Coordinates per Image Tile Pixel .1Micrometer Stage Pixel Spatial Resolution Objectives Steps Per Pixel InMicrometers 1.25x   69 6.9 10x 9 .9 20x 5 .5 40x 2 .2

Using the values from Table 8, if a Slide View image data set consistedof a full component of 8×10 image tiles, then there would be 7,520pixels along the x direction and 3,840 pixels in the y direction. Thiswould result in an x, y coordinate system for this slide of 518,880 xcoordinate values and 264,960 y coordinate values. This, in effect,creates a virtual coordinate reference system for each tiled image dataset. As each tile is collected, the initial upper left starting pixellocation in stage coordinate values is stored in a separate subfile listas part of the image data structure file, along with, of course, that.jpg tile image. They are associated with each other by the name of theimage tile being used as the name in the list associated with the x, ycoordinates. In this way, each data structure has contained in it a listof x, y coordinate positions. The x, y coordinate position list istransferred to a specific client in response to the client issuing aSelect Slide Request.

Referring again to FIG. 33, the initial step is to translate thestarting display image size in pixels into the virtual stagecoordinates. For example, if the image is the 452×240 Preview Slideimage then each x pixel increments by 1,148 x virtual stage coordinatesand each y pixel increments by 1104 virtual stage coordinates. A givenmouse click resulting in an x, y pixel location can then be easilytranslated into a known virtual image x, y location. Next, the newdisplay image window, in this case the Slide View image, is opened, andsome of the possible 8×10 1.25× image tiles may be displayed. Thiswindow will either have a present initial size or will have been set bya previous call. In either case the size of the window in pixels can bedetermined from the associated windows properties parameters, accessibleto the program. The size and placement of this window can then becalculated in the virtual coordinate space. The program assumes that thepixel point chosen in the previous window is associated with the centerof the new window to do this.

Next, the image stage coordinate list is searched. The image stagecoordinate list was previously transferred to find all candidate tileswhich should be displayed according to size of the window.

As shown in FIG. 33, the tiles can be two types; they may already havebeen viewed and are there, and are therefore cached and availablelocally, or they exist on the server. If they are on the server, a SendImage Request is initiated and the server sends back the requested tile.Otherwise, they are read from the cache. It should be appreciated againin the case of the program's execution, shown in the flow chart of FIG.33, that the program is event driven and multi-threaded. The finaloperation is to fill in the display window with the chosen tile. Thissame, or an analogous method of filling in tiles for display images isused in scrolling, zooming in and out, and in retrieving tiles for theField View window (coming from the Slide View window), and in retrievingimage tiles from the server for the fixed size Java applet viewer.

Even though in many instances these five images would be sufficient, theadditional approach of this invention is to make available to theapplet, the entire virtual slide. This is accomplished using thetechniques already described for the browser. In this instance, theupper panel Preview Slide Image can be used by a mouse point and click,to locate an x, y position. This is translated into x, y virtual stagecoordinates, and the needed tiles are requested through an Image Requestto the server. If the magnification choices are used the operation ofthis application is handled by the same methods of zoom and calling forimages as in the browser, all relating to the size of the window andwhich image tiles are needed from what virtual x, y location to fill inthe window. In a similar way, the lower portion of the portal window isalso enabled for scrolling. So the virtual slide advantage of scrollingand zooming in and out are available but in a limited size window. Theyare accessible, however, from an HTML document that has embeddedcontent.

An additional feature of this approach, as shown by comparing FIGS. 21A,21B and 22, is that the controlling HTML web-page code may be callingthe content for the page from a computer other than the image computer.The advantage of this is that it decouples the text content from theimage collections. In a teaching environment this enables many differentusers to create their own course content, using standard HTML methods,and simply provides a call to the server at appropriate places in theHTML code,

As indicated in FIGS. 18 and 19, and as discussed previously, the serveralso interacts with a second type of viewer, an HTML embedded applet, inthis case written in the Java programming language, as set forth inTable 9 below.

TABLE 9 <APPLET CODEBASE=“http://209.100.40.94/” CODE=“WebSlide”ALIGN=“m iddle” HEIGHT=“590” NAME=“Histology06a” WIDTH=“464”ALT=“WebSlide”>  <PARAM NAME=“lslidexrefpos” VALUE=“82458”>  <PARAMNAME=“webslideurl” VALUE=“http://209.100.40.94/WebSlides/Histology06a/”>  <PARAM NAME=“izoomlevel” VALUE=“2”>  <PARAMNAME=“1yrefpos” VALUE=“23768”>  <PARAM NAME=“1xssstepsize”VALUE=“48062”>  <PARAM NAME=“1xrefpos” VALUE=“92237”>  <PARAMNAME=“instance” VALUE “Histology06a”>  <PARAM NAME=“1yssstepsize”VALUE=“35892”>  <PARAM NAME=“1slideyrefpos” VALUE=“17177”>  This browserdoes not support Java v1.1 applets! </APPLET>

The interaction of this viewer with the server is also shown in FIG. 22.This viewer is simpler, and used for different purposes than thebrowser, but uses many of the same techniques of transferring imagetiles.

FIG. 34 illustrates the layout and features of the HTML portal windowcreated by this applet. This viewer consists of two views; alow-magnification view (which is the Preview Slide image discussedabove) shown as an upper portion in FIG. 34, and a higher-magnificationview shown in the lower portion. The two views are separated by a menubar with four magnification choices. As described below, there is anHTML applet creation process which is another browser tab portion. Thisenables the creation of both the HTML code to generate a Java appletrequest and additional pre-configured images for the applet to use whenit runs.

In an application of interest for this type of viewer, specific regionsare identified in the image which are of primary interest, and the needis to see this region as quickly as possible and to change betweenmagnifications rapidly. In order to enable this the applet creationprocess enables the location of a specific view on a given image, i.e.,it specifies a center x, y position for the region and specifies a finalview window size, of the same size as the lower portion of the portalwindow, and assembles from the tiled data structure four zoom levelviews corresponding to the menu bar magnification options. The zoomlevels start with the highest Field View magnification level, usually40× or 20×, and the viewer creates a lower-magnification image of eachtile by using every other pixel at each lower zoom magnification.Additional tiles are brought in and assembled from the image datastructure as needed to fill in the fixed field size of the lower HTMLportal window. These four assembled images are referred to as Previewimages, are given specific names in the creation process and are storedin a file accessible to the server program, on the same computer thatthe related image is located.

The first thing the Java applet does then after it is loaded is to senda Login and Virtual Slide Request as indicated in Table 1. If the slidename and server identity is correct, the server response is to send thePreview Slide image for the upper panel, the four Preview images thatwill be used for the lower panel, and the x, y list of all image tilesin the associated data structure. The HTML applet generation processspecified which of the magnification choices would be loaded first. Theother are available to the applet through the radio button eventgenerated from the menu bar.

The advantage of this approach, of using the pre-stored Preview Slideand Preview images, is that they are small and can be transmittedrelatively rapidly, essentially only five tiles, and are in essencepre-cached, in terms of the relationship to the browser description. Oneproblem with applets is that they are interpreted rather than compiled;hence, they are slower than native machine code such as that used in thebrowser. Thus, this approach helps to overcome that. In addition, formany purposes, e.g., in an educational setting, these views are all thatare needed to achieve the initial purpose. For the presentation of amicroscope specimen, especially in anatomic pathology or histology, anoverall view of the specimen, such as that shown in the upper portion,and localization of a specific region, with the ability to zoom in andout is sufficient

The virtual slide link is set forth in Table 10 below.

TABLE 10 [WebSlide Link] tWebSlideURL=http://209.100.40.94/ iMainTop=0iMainLeft=0 tScanFilename=Prost-z2 iMainOverlays=1 bGraticles=1bScanArea=1 bMultiMag=1 bTileLoction=0 bSlideView=1 bFieldView=1iSlideViewTop=0 iSlideViewLeft=600 iSlideViewHeight=478iSlideViewWidth=1000 iSlideViewWindowState=1bDisplayTileLocationOverlay=1 iSlideViewZoomLevel=1 1SlideXRefPos=443971SlideYRefPos=55668 iFieldViewTop=478 iFieldViewLeft=0iFieldViewHeight=402 iFieldViewWidth=472 iFieldViewWindowState=1iFieldViewZoomLevel=1 1FieldViewXRefPos=58436 1FieldViewYRefpos=55520tSlideScanMode=0

In order to perform the multiheaded microscope function of emulation, aplurality of clients are logged on, which might include a client A and aclient B. After having logged on, client B elects to consult with loggedon client A and highlights client A's name in logged on list in a step800, as shown in FIG. 35A. The client B then selects a synchronizationand user function by clicking on the sync on user button and a thinclient browser enters a synchronization state keyed on signals fromclient A in a step 802.

During the one-second interval update command for the browser, client Bmonitors client A's update state variables, as set forth in the listingin Table 6, and uses the variables necessary to display the samelocation and magnification of the slide data set that client A iscurrently viewing. A plurality of the state variables include statevariable values that indicate whether those variables are disabled, forinstance 999999999. Otherwise, the variable state is considered tocontain active data and, during the one-second interval update,decisions are made by the state variables by client B, as set forth instep 804. Control is then transferred to a step 806 to determine whetherthe chat messenger index on the server is greater than the current statevariable index. If it is, control is transferred to a step 808 torequest each missing chat message from the server and displayed in thechat window at the client until the chat message index on the server isequal to the state variable index following which the routine returns ina step 810 to a test in a step 812 to determine whether the statevariables have been placed in sync mode. If they have not, control istransferred back to the step 806, as shown in FIG. 35D.

If the system is in sync mode, a test is made in a step 814, as shown inFIG. 35A, to determine whether the virtual slide image selected from theslide tray data collection is the same as the one that is currentlydisplayed. If it is not, the position in the slide tray is updated in astep 816. If it is, control is transferred either from step 814 or 816to a step 818 where a test is made to determine whether thelow-magnification x, y position location state variables are in thedisabled state. If they are, control is transferred back to step 814. Ifthey are not, the slide view window is displayed and updated for thelow-magnification view to the lower-magnification position previouslyselected by client A using client A's current magnification statevariable in step 820 in order to synchronize the views.

A test is then made in a step 822 similar to the step 818 to determinewhether the high-magnification x, y location state variables are in thedisabled state in a step 822. If they are disabled, control istransferred back to step 814. If they are not, control is transferred toa step 824 which displays the field view window on the client and/orupdates the high-magnification view to synchronize with client A's x, yhigh-magnification selected position also using client A's currentmagnification state variables. The slide scan mode state variableindicates whether what is being displayed is the low-magnification orhigh-magnification data and each of the data's associated coordinatesystems in field of view.

Control is then transferred to a step 830, as shown in FIG. 35C, where atest is made to determine the mouse pointer or display pointer x, yposition state variables in the disabled state or not If they are notdisabled, the pointer is displayed at the location selected by client Aand control is transferred to step 814 If the state variables aredisabled, control is transferred directly to step 814.

It should be appreciated that the updating function from the client Avariables may take place not just with one client, client B, but overmultiple clients in order to provide image coherency from the client, inthis example client A, which in effect controls the command token forthe virtual multiheaded microscope remote emulation.

While there has been illustrated and described a particular embodimentof the present invention, it will be appreciated that numerous changesand modifications will occur to those skilled in the art, and it isintended in the appended claims to cover all those changes andmodifications which fall within the true spirit and scope of the presentinvention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for viewing virtual microscope slidescomprised of a magnified image of a tissue specimen or a substantialportion thereof over a common communication channel, the methodcomprising: providing a transmitting station connected to the commoncommunication channel and accessible by a number of remote receivingstations connected to the common communication channel; storing aplurality of sets of virtual microscope, digitized slide images oftissue specimens at the transmitting station; transmitting controlinformation to the requesting computer for use in displaying thedigitized image of a digitized, virtual microscope, slide of a tissuespecimen; displaying on a viewer at a remote receiving station athumbnail view, which is a thumbnail, magnified view of adjacent,contiguous areas at a predetermined resolution of a tissue specimen orportion thereof on the virtual microscope slide; displaying on theviewer at the remote receiving station a stored digitized image at afirst higher resolution or at a second higher resolution than theresolution of the thumbnail view from a selected point of interest onthe thumb nail view; and zooming by the viewer back and forth betweenthe transmitted respective higher resolution images for a selectedpoint.
 2. A method of viewing virtual microscope slides in accordancewith claim 1 further comprising displaying to the viewer descriptivetext about the digitized slide image being viewed by the viewer at theremote station.
 3. A method in accordance with claim 1 furthercomprising changing the digital images from a smaller size to a largersize.
 4. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:changing the size and position of viewing windows for viewing of thedigitized images; and changing the image magnification to allow zoomingbetween high and low magnifications of the digitized images.
 5. A methodin accordance with claim 1 further comprising transmitting a set oflow-magnification, digitized tiled images for reconstruction into thethumbnail view.
 6. A method for viewing virtual microscope slidescomprised of a magnified image of a tissue specimen or a substantialportion thereof over a common communication channel, the methodcomprising: providing a transmitting station connected to the commoncommunication channel and accessible by a number of remote receivingstations connected to the common communication channel; storing aplurality of sets of virtual microscope, digitized slide images oftissue specimens at the transmitting station; transmitting controlinformation to the requesting computer for use in displaying thedigitized image of a digitized, virtual microscope, slide of a tissuespecimen; displaying on a viewer at a remote receiving station athumbnail view of a tissue specimen or portion thereof on the virtualmicroscope slide; displaying on the viewer at the remote receivingstation a digitized image at a higher resolution than the resolution ofthe thumbnail view from a selected point of interest on the thumb nailview; zooming by the viewer back and forth between the thumbnail viewand higher resolution images for selected points; providing a pluralityof digitized images each at a different resolution and each a higherresolution than the thumbnail view; and zooming back and forth betweenthe plurality of higher resolution images as well as with the thumbnailimage.
 7. A method in accordance with claim 6 further comprisingoperating a magnification selector at the receiving station to changebetween the plurality of higher resolution images.
 8. A method inaccordance with claim 7 further comprising: transmitting from thetransmitting station an entire set of digitized slide images of severalresolutions from the transmitting station to the receiving station; andoperating the magnification selector at the remote station to selectfrom the stored digitized slide images at the receiving station thoseimages of the selected magnification.
 9. A method for viewing virtualmicroscope slides comprised of a magnified image of a tissue specimen ora substantial portion thereof over a common communication channel, themethod comprising: providing a transmitting station connected to thecommon communication channel and accessible by a number of remotereceiving stations connected to the common communication channel;storing a plurality of sets of virtual microscope, digitized slideimages of tissue specimens at the transmitting station; transmittingcontrol information to the requesting computer for use in displaying thedigitized image of a digitized, virtual microscope, slide of a tissuespecimen; displaying on a viewer at a remote receiving station athumbnail view of a tissue specimen or portion thereof on the virtualmicroscope slide; displaying on the viewer at the remote receivingstation a digitized image at a higher resolution than the resolution ofthe thumbnail view from a selected point of interest on the thumb nailview; zooming by the viewer back and forth between the thumbnail viewand higher resolution images for selected points; and transmitting acontrol program comprises downloading a control program as an applet.10. A method for viewing virtual microscope slides comprised of amagnified image of a tissue specimen or a substantial portion thereofover a common communication channel, the method comprising: providing atransmitting station connected to the common communication channel andaccessible by a number of remote receiving stations connected to thecommon communication channel; storing a plurality of sets of virtualmicroscope, digitized slide images of tissue specimens at thetransmitting station; transmitting control information to the requestingcomputer for use in displaying the digitized image of a digitized,virtual microscope, slide of a tissue specimen; displaying on a viewerat a remote receiving station a thumbnail view of a tissue specimen orportion thereof on the virtual microscope slide; displaying on theviewer at the remote receiving station a digitized image at a higherresolution than the resolution of the thumbnail view from a selectedpoint of interest on the thumb nail view; zooming by the viewer back andforth between the thumbnail view and higher resolution images forselected points; and transmitting a dynamic, self-executing program forviewing, manipulating, and reconstructing digitized images.
 11. A methodfor viewing virtual microscope slides comprised of a magnified image ofa tissue specimen or a substantial portion thereof over a commoncommunication channel, the method comprising: providing a transmittingstation connected to the common communication channel and accessible bya number of remote receiving stations connected to the commoncommunication channel; storing a plurality of sets of virtualmicroscope, digitized slide images of tissue specimens at thetransmitting station; transmitting control information to the requestingcomputer for use in displaying the digitized image of a digitized,virtual microscope, slide of a tissue specimen; displaying on a viewerat a remote receiving station a thumbnail view of a tissue specimen orportion thereof on the virtual microscope slide; displaying on theviewer at the remote receiving station a digitized image at a higherresolution than the resolution of the thumbnail view from a selectedpoint of interest on the thumb nail view; zooming by the viewer back andforth between the thumbnail view and higher resolution images forselected points; and using an HTML browser and a personal computer atthe remote viewing station for receiving the control program and set ofdigitized, slide images.
 12. A method for viewing virtual microscopeslides comprised of a magnified image of a tissue specimen or asubstantial portion thereof over a common communication channel, themethod comprising: providing a transmitting station connected to thecommon communication channel and accessible by a number of remotereceiving stations connected to the common communication channel;storing a plurality of sets of virtual microscope, digitized slideimages of tissue specimens at the transmitting station; transmittingcontrol information to the requesting computer for use in displaying thedigitized image of a digitized, virtual microscope, slide of a tissuespecimen; displaying on a viewer at a remote receiving station athumbnail view of a tissue specimen or portion thereof on the virtualmicroscope slide; displaying on the viewer at the remote receivingstation a digitized image at a higher resolution than the resolution ofthe thumbnail view from a selected point of interest on the thumb nailview; zooming by the viewer back and forth between the thumbnail viewand higher resolution images for selected points; displaying to theviewer descriptive text about the digitized slide image being viewed bythe viewer at the remote location; providing viewing windows ofdifferent sizes each for viewing a digitized image; and filling each ofthe windows of different sizes with a digitized image.
 13. A method forviewing virtual microscope slides comprised of a magnified image of atissue specimen or a substantial portion thereof over a commoncommunication channel, the method comprising: providing a transmittingstation connected to the common communication channel and accessible bya number of remote receiving stations connected to the commoncommunication channel; storing a plurality of sets of virtualmicroscope, digitized slide images of tissue specimens at thetransmitting station; transmitting control information to the requestingcomputer for use in displaying the digitized image of a digitized,virtual microscope, slide of a tissue specimen; displaying on a viewerat a remote receiving station a thumbnail view of a tissue specimen orportion thereof on the virtual microscope slide; displaying on theviewer at the remote receiving station a digitized image at a higherresolution than the resolution of the thumbnail view from a selectedpoint of interest on the thumb nail view; zooming by the viewer back andforth between the thumbnail view and higher resolution images forselected points; selecting a region of a displayed image to be viewed ata higher resolution; determining the size of the window and filling thewindow at the requested resolution; and displaying the selectedhigher-resolution digitized image and filling the window therewith. 14.A method for viewing virtual microscope slides comprised of a magnifiedimage of a tissue specimen or a substantial portion thereof over acommon communication channel, the method comprising: providing atransmitting station connected to the common communication channel andaccessible by a number of remote receiving stations connected to thecommon communication channel; storing a plurality of sets of virtualmicroscope, digitized slide images of tissue specimens at thetransmitting station; transmitting control information to the requestingcomputer for use in displaying the digitized image of a digitized,virtual microscope, slide of a tissue specimen; displaying on a viewerat a remote receiving station a thumbnail view of a tissue specimen orportion thereof on the virtual microscope slide; displaying on theviewer at the remote receiving station a digitized image at a higherresolution than the resolution of the thumbnail view from a selectedpoint of interest on the thumb nail view; zooming by the viewer back andforth between the thumbnail view and higher resolution images forselected points; and scrolling along the displayed image to remove someportion of the image from the window and to add other image portions tothe window for viewing.
 15. A method of providing magnified, overallimages of tissue specimens and higher resolution images of points ofinterest in the overall image over a common communication channel toviewers at remote locations, comprising: storing at a central locationdata sets of digitized magnified, multiple, recorded images for each ofa plurality of tissue specimens with the respective images beingseamlessly reconstructed together from a plurality of adjacent fields ofview to form an overall image larger in width than the width of a singlefield of view; requesting over the common communication channel accessto the data for the stored, magnified, overall digitized image of atleast one specimen; sending back the data at over the commoncommunication channel the data set for the overall image to the remotelocation to aid in the selection of digitized higher resolution imagesfor viewing by the remote user; using the overall image for viewing bythe remote user and for selecting of a point on the digitized, overallimage of the specimen at the remote location and requesting atransmission of a digitized higher resolution image for the point fromthe digitized higher resolution images previously stored at the centrallocation; sending from the central location the selected digitizedhigher resolution image over the common communication channel to theremote location; and making available at the remote location thedigitized higher resolution image requested for viewing of the specimenor a portion thereof.
 16. A method in accordance with claim 15, whereinsending the information back over the common communication channel toremote locations further comprises: presenting to the viewer thumbnailviews of specimens as information for use in selecting; and requestingtransmission of a specific digitized image for the selected specimen.17. A method in accordance with claim 15 further comprising: using apersonal computer to communicate over the common transmission channel;and using a Windows operating system for displaying on a screen of thepersonal computer the transmitted, digitized images.
 18. A method inaccordance with claim 15 further comprising providing descriptive textwith the digitized tiled image to instruct about the specimen beingviewed.
 19. A method in accordance with claim 15 further comprising:providing a server at the central location; storing a plurality ofdigitized images of different resolutions on the server; and selectingat the remote location different resolution images to be transmittedfrom the server to the remote location.
 20. A method in accordance withclaim 15 further comprising: providing at the remote location aplurality of folders having a virtual microscope slide having adigitized image therein in an organized system; and selecting at theremote location one of the folders from the organized set of folders fortransmission of its associated virtual microscope slide.
 21. A method inaccordance with claim 15 further comprising: providing a digitized imageof a portion of a specimen at a first predetermined resolution; andoverlaying a digitized image of the specimen at a lower resolution thanthe predetermined resolution.
 22. A method in accordance with claim 15further comprising selecting from a plurality of collected data filesstored at the first station the requested virtual microscope slides fortransmitting over the common communication channel to the viewer.
 23. Amethod in accordance with claim 15 further comprising: providing aserver at the central location; and selecting by the server from RAM andCD media the stored digitized image for transmission.
 24. A method inaccordance with claim 15 further comprising: providing a plurality offirst stations each capable of transmitting virtual microscope slidesover the common communication channel; and addressing one of theplurality of stations and requesting a desired virtual microscope slidetherefrom.
 25. A method of providing magnified images of tissuespecimens over a common communication channel to viewers at remotelocations, comprising: storing at a central location data for sets ofdigitized image of a plurality of tissue specimens; requesting over thecommon communication channel access to the data for the stored,digitized image of at least one specimen of the stored image tiles;sending back over the common communication channel information to theremote location to aid in the selection of a digitized image for viewingby the remote user; using the sent information for selecting at theremote location and requesting a transmission of specific digitizedimage from those digitized images stored at the central location;sending from the central station the stored data for the selecteddigitized image over the common communication channel to the remotelocation; making available at the remote location the digitized imagerequested for viewing of the specimen or a portion thereof; and an HTMLbrowser is installed at the remote user's personal computer.
 26. Amethod of providing magnified images of tissue specimens over a commoncommunication channel to viewers at remote locations, comprising:storing at a central location data for sets of digitized image of aplurality of tissue specimens; requesting over the common communicationchannel access to the data for the stored, digitized image of at leastone specimen of the stored image tiles; sending back over the commoncommunication channel information to the remote location to aid in theselection of a digitized image for viewing by the remote user; using thesent information for selecting at the remote location and requesting atransmission of specific digitized image from those digitized imagesstored at the central location; sending from the central station thestored data for the selected digitized image over the commoncommunication channel to the remote location; making available at theremote location the digitized image requested for viewing of thespecimen or a portion thereof; providing three screens on a viewingdevice for viewing of virtual microscope slides; presenting a thumbnailview of the specimen on one screen; presenting a larger preview view ofa digitized image of the specimen on a second screen for selection of ahigher resolution, segment of the preview image; and presenting adigitized image of the selected higher magnification region on a thirdscreen to the viewer.
 27. A method of providing magnified images oftissue specimens over a common communication channel to viewers atremote locations, comprising: storing at a central location data forsets of digitized image of a plurality of tissue specimens; requestingover the common communication channel access to the data for the stored,digitized image of at least one specimen of the stored image tiles;sending back over the common communication channel information to theremote location to aid in the selection of a digitized image for viewingby the remote user; using the sent information for selecting at theremote location and requesting a transmission of specific digitizedimage from those digitized images stored at the central location;sending from the central station the stored data for the selecteddigitized image over the common communication channel to the remotelocation; making available at the remote location the digitized imagerequested for viewing of the specimen or a portion thereof; and changingthe size of the window and changing the magnification to allow a fullinspection of the specimen at higher and lower magnifications.
 28. Amethod of providing magnified images of tissue specimens over a commoncommunication channel to viewers at remote locations, comprising:storing at a central location data for sets of digitized image of aplurality of tissue specimens; requesting over the common communicationchannel access to the data for the stored, digitized image of at leastone specimen of the stored image tiles; sending back over the commoncommunication channel information to the remote location to aid in theselection of a digitized image for viewing by the remote user; using thesent information for selecting at the remote location and requesting atransmission of specific digitized image from those digitized imagesstored at the central location; sending from the central station thestored data for the selected digitized image over the commoncommunication channel to the remote location; making available at theremote location the digitized image requested for viewing of thespecimen or a portion thereof; the making available at the remotelocation of the digitized image comprises: changing the size of aviewing window; and providing a digitized image to fill the viewingwindows of different sizes.
 29. A method of providing magnified imagesof tissue specimens over a common communication channel to viewers atremote locations, comprising: storing at a central location data forsets of digitized image of a plurality of tissue specimens; requestingover the common communication channel access to the data for the stored,digitized image of at least one specimen of the stored image tiles;sending back over the common communication channel information to theremote location to aid in the selection of a digitized image for viewingby the remote user; using the sent information for selecting at theremote location and requesting a transmission of specific digitizedimage from those digitized images stored at the central location;sending from the central station the stored data for the selecteddigitized image over the common communication channel to the remotelocation; making available at the remote location the digitized imagerequested for viewing of the specimen or a portion thereof; requesting alowered resolution of the digitized image at a first higher resolutionpresented on the window; and using more digitized image data to providean image to fill the window at a second lower resolution than used tofill the window at the higher resolution.
 30. A method of providingmagnified images of tissue specimens over a common communication channelto viewers at remote locations, comprising: storing at a centrallocation data for sets of digitized image of a plurality of tissuespecimens; requesting over the common communication channel access tothe data for the stored, digitized image of at least one specimen of thestored image tiles; sending back over the common communication channelinformation to the remote location to aid in the selection of adigitized image for viewing by the remote user; using the sentinformation for selecting at the remote location and requesting atransmission of specific digitized image from those digitized imagesstored at the central location; sending from the central station thestored data for the selected digitized image over the commoncommunication channel to the remote location; making available at theremote location the digitized image requested for viewing of thespecimen or a portion thereof; selecting spaced points on the digitizedimage; and measuring the distance between the selected spaced points andreporting the distance to a viewer.
 31. A method of providing magnifiedimages of tissue specimens over a common communication channel toviewers at remote locations, comprising: storing at a central locationdata for sets of digitized image of a plurality of tissue specimens;requesting over the common communication channel access to the data forthe stored, digitized image of at least one specimen of the stored imagetiles; sending back over the common communication channel information tothe remote location to aid in the selection of a digitized image forviewing by the remote user; using the sent information for selecting atthe remote location and requesting a transmission of specific digitizedimage from those digitized images stored at the central location;sending from the central station the stored data for the selecteddigitized image over the common communication channel to the remotelocation; making available at the remote location the digitized imagerequested for viewing of the specimen or a portion thereof; and loadinga browser program onto computers at the multiple receivers at the remotelocations for assistance in assembling the digitized images.
 32. Amethod of providing a virtual, multiheaded microscope allowing aplurality of viewers at remotely located different stations tosimultaneously view a specimen and to discuss the same, the methodcomprising: providing a virtual microscope slide comprised of amagnified digital image of a specimen; providing a common communicationchannel; transmitting over the common communication channel a virtualmicroscope slide to a first receiving station for viewing by a firstviewer; transmitting over the common communication channel the samevirtual microscope slide to a second viewing station for viewing by asecond viewer; and indicating by the first of the users an area on thevirtual microscope slide at the first receiving station for discussionand transmitting from the first station information for locating thesame area on the virtual microscope slide being viewed at the secondstation for discussion of the same indicated area between the first andsecond viewers; and discussing over a carrier between the first andsecond viewers about the indicated area on the virtual microscope slidesbeing displayed simultaneously to both of the first and second viewers.33. A method in accordance with claim 32 further comprising passingcontrol of an indicator from the first viewer to the second viewer toallow the second viewer to shift the indicator to a region that thesecond viewer wants to discuss with the first viewer.
 34. A method inaccordance with claim 33 further comprising indicating with a pointercontrolled by a computer controller device.
 35. A method in accordancewith claim 34 further comprising using a mouse as the computer controldevice for shifting the pointer on the virtual microscope slide.
 36. Amethod in accordance with claim 32 wherein, the communicating betweenthe first and second viewer is by speaking over a telephone.
 37. Amethod in accordance with claim 32 wherein, the communicating betweenthe first and second viewer is by written messages over an Internetcommon communication channel.
 38. A method of providing a virtual,multiheaded microscope allowing a plurality of viewers at remotelylocated different stations to simultaneously view the same virtualmicroscope slide comprised of a magnified digital image of a tissuespecimen comprising: providing a common communication channel;transmitting over the common communication channel a virtual microscopeslide to a first receiving station for viewing by a first viewer;transmitting over the common communication channel the same virtualmicroscope slide to a second viewing station for viewing by a secondviewer; indicating by the first of the users an area on the virtualmicroscope slide at the first receiving station for discussion andtransmitting from the first station information for locating the samearea on the virtual microscope slide being viewed at the second stationfor discussion of the same indicated area between the first and secondviewers; communicating over a carrier between the first and secondviewers about the indicated area on the virtual microscope slides beingdisplayed simultaneously to both of the first and second viewers;placing one of the first and second viewers in control and allowing thisviewer to change the magnified images of the tissue specimen to beviewed simultaneously by each of the viewers at their respectivereceiving stations; allowing one of the viewers to change themagnification between images of high and lower resolutions; andtransmitting from a central station the newly changed resolution imagesto the respective first and second receiving stations.
 39. A method ofproviding a virtual, multiheaded microscope allowing a plurality ofviewers at remotely located different stations to simultaneously viewthe same virtual microscope slide view comprised of a magnified digitalimage of a tissue specimen or a substantial portion thereof, comprising:providing a common communication channel; storing at a common repositorydigitized images at a central station connected to the commoncommunication channel for transmission of digitized images to multipleusers connected to the common communication channel; transmitting overthe common communication channel digitized image to a first receivingstation to provide a view for viewing by a first viewer; transmittingover the common communication channel the same digitized image to asecond viewing station to provide a view for viewing by a second viewer;the first viewer causing a change in the image being viewed by sending arequest for a higher resolution digitized image to be transmitted fromthe central station and the central station responding by sending thehigher resolution digitized image to both the first and second stations;and communicating over a common communication channel between the firstand second viewers about the image from the virtual microscope slidesbeing displayed simultaneously to both of the first and second viewers.40. A method in accordance with claim 39 further comprising: the firstuser initiating requests for changes in views and resolutions of thespecimen slide images; and the central station receiving the requestedchanges and transmitting a packet of digitized data to both the firstuser and second user for the change resolution and changed views.
 41. Amethod in accordance with claim 39 further comprising: moving a pointeron the virtual microscope slide image to a new location; transmittingthe pointer's new location from the first station to a central station;transmitting from the central station to the second station the newlocation of the pointer; and moving the pointer at the second station tothe same new location on the slide image.
 42. A method of using a filingstructure for organizing virtual microscope slide images to be requestedby and transmitted to a requester from a server at a server station overa common carrier, comprising: transmitting a request from a requester atrequesting station to the server station; transmitting a slide trayrequest to the server station; transmitting slide tray information fromthe server station to the requesting station; displaying to therequester slide tray information comprising a list of virtual microscopeslide names on a display device at the requesting station; selectingfrom the slide tray information a microscope slide name to cause animage request for the selected slide to be sent to the server station;and transmitting from the server station digitized data comprising themagnified images of the slide specimen or a portion thereof for viewingon the display device at the requesting station.
 43. A method inaccordance with claim 42 wherein the displaying to the requester ofslide tray information comprises displaying a file folder tree displayin a window of the requester's display device.
 44. A method of providingvirtual microscope slides of a magnified image of a specimen on asubstantial portion of a tissue specimen and identified by name from acentral station to remote stations comprising: storing data at a centrallocation for use in selecting one of the virtual microscope slides fordisplay and for use in providing digitized images for viewing a virtualmicroscope slide at multiple resolutions; connecting one or more remotestations over a common communication channel to the central station;transmitting a request from the remote station for information about thevirtual microscope slides available for transmission to the requestingremote station; transmitting from the central station a list of names ofvirtual microscope slides in response to the request form the remotestation; selecting a virtual microscope slide from the list of names bya viewer at the remote station; displaying a thumbnail image of thespecimen on the virtual microscope slide to the viewer at the remotestation; selecting a region from the thumbnail image to be displayed asan image at a higher resolution; and viewing the digitized image at thehigher resolution of the selected region of the specimen.
 45. A methodin accordance with claim 44, wherein the selecting of a region fromthumbnail image comprises displaying at the remote station a previewimage larger in size than the thumbnail image and selecting from thepreview image the region to be viewed at the higher resolution.
 46. Amethod in accordance with claim 45 further comprising indicating on thepreview image those regions where digitized images are available forassembling into the higher resolution view.
 47. A method in accordancewith claim 46 further comprising providing the name of the virtualmicroscope slide as a dynamic display such that the selection thereofactivates a request to the central station to transmit the thumbnailimage to the remote station.
 48. A method in accordance with claim 45further comprising overlaying on the display device the thumbnail image,the preview image, and the higher magnification view.
 49. A method inaccordance with claim 45 further comprising: transmitting digitized datafrom the central station for an image at a higher resolution than thethumbnail image for viewing as a slide view image at the remote station;and selecting from the slide view image and requesting from the centralstation an image at a resolution higher than the side view image toprovide a still higher resolution image of specimen.
 50. A method inaccordance with claim 44 further comprising: changing the size andposition of a viewing window for the selected region; and zoomingbetween several resolutions of the specimen when analyzing the specimenon the selected virtual microscope slide.
 51. A method in accordancewith claim 44 further comprising overlaying on the virtual specimen anoverlay showing the regions of the specimen actually scanned andavailable for viewing and showing the regions of the specimen that havenot been scanned and are not available for viewing.
 52. A method inaccordance with claim 44 wherein the selecting of a virtual microscopeslide from the list of names comprises sending a request to the centralstation which results in transmission of a dynamic self-executingcontrol program having stored multiple resolution images for theselected slide to the receiving station.
 53. A method in accordance withclaim 52 further comprising sending and assembling the stored multipleresolution image from the dynamic, self-executing program at a viewer toprovide the higher resolution view of the region.
 54. A method inaccordance with claim 53 further comprising using the self-executingprogram to provide multiple resolution images to show substantially theentire specimen at each of the predetermined resolutions.
 55. A methodin accordance with claim 54 further comprising: transmitting a thumbnailview of substantially the entire specimen to the requesting station fordisplay; and selecting from the thumbnail view a region to be viewed ata higher magnification and sending a select slide request to the serverstation to obtain a high-magnification image of the selected region. 56.A method in accordance with claim 55 further comprising transmittingfrom the server station a high-magnification preview image in responseto the select slide request.
 57. A method in accordance with claim 56further comprising: selecting from the higher-magnification previewimage an area thereon for viewing at higher magnification; anddisplaying the selected areas.
 58. A method in accordance with claim 57further comprising the viewer changing the resolution of the field viewimages to zoom back and forth therebetween during a diagnosis by apathologist of the specimen on the virtual microscope slide.
 59. Amethod in accordance with claim 55 further comprising: providing adynamic display of virtual microscope names and the thumbnail view; andusing a control device to select the name and region from these dynamicdisplays.
 60. A method in accordance with claim 52 further comprisingadding descriptive text for the microscope slide by a user at a remotestation for use by another viewer.
 61. A method in accordance with claim60 further comprising storing the descriptive text on a computerseparate from a computer for for storing data for the digitized image sothat different users at different stations may access the slides withrespectively associated, descriptive texts and update their separatetexts.
 62. A method in accordance with claim 44 further comprisingtransmitting from the central station a prestored thumbnail image slidefor the specimen and a prestored preview images for each of theresolutions that are available.
 63. A method in accordance with claim 62further comprising digitally reducing from the highest resolution theother resolutions for the respective prestored images.
 64. A method ofoperating a display drive to display images of portions or of a tissuespecimen to a viewer comprising: storing at a central location images atdifferent resolutions of the tissue specimen; displaying to the viewer athumbnail view of the specimen at a first resolution; selecting by theviewer from the thumbnail view an area to be viewed at a secondresolution higher than the first resolution of the thumbnail view;displaying to the viewer an image of the selected area at the secondresolution; selecting by the viewer from the digitized image at thesecond resolution an area for viewing at a third resolution higher thanthe second resolution; and displaying simultaneously to the vieweranother digitized image at the third higher resolution and of theselected area at the second resolution.
 65. A method in accordance withclaim 64 further comprising forming and displaying the thumbnail viewfrom a plurality of digitized images at the first resolution.
 66. Amethod in accordance with claim 64 further comprising: providing a gridon the thumbnail view to aid in selecting the area to be viewed at thesecond resolution; and providing a grid on the second resolutiondigitized image to aid in selecting the area to be viewed at the thirdresolution.
 67. A method in accordance with claim 64 wherein each of thethree views shown simultaneously with there being an overlapping of theviews being shown simultaneously.
 68. A method in accordance with claim64 further comprising: changing the size and locations of the displayedviews on the display device; and changing the magnification to allowzooming between different magnifications for viewing a suspicious areaof a specimen.
 69. A method in accordance with claim 64 furthercomprising: providing a first window on the display device for viewingthe thumbnail view; providing a second window on the display device forviewing a digitized image which is filling the second window; andproviding a third window on the display device for viewing at the thirdresolution a digitized image, which is filling the third window.
 70. Amethod of providing digitized magnified images of tissue specimens overa common communication channel to viewers at remote locations,comprising: providing a transmitting station at the central location andaccessible by a member of remote stations connected to the commoncommunication channels; storing at a central location data for sets ofdigitized images of a plurality of tissue specimens; requesting over thecommon communication channel access to the data for the stored,digitized images of at least one specimen of the stored images; sendingback from the transmitting station over the common communication channelinformation to the remote location to aid in the selection of adigitized image for viewing by the remote user; using the sentinformation for selecting at the remote location and requesting atransmission of specific digitized images from those stored at thecentral location; sending from the transmitting station the stored datafor the selected, digitized images over the common communication channelto the remote location; providing an applet for transmitting from thetransmitting station to a browser at a remote location for viewing,manipulating and reconstructing the digitized images; using apreviously-installed control program at the remote station for viewingand manipulating the digitized image; and making available at the remotelocation the digitized, image requested for viewing the specimen or aportion thereof while using one of the applet or previously-installedcontrol program.
 71. A method of providing a text file created by afirst user for a second user of a virtual microscope slide, the methodcomprising: providing a virtual microscope slide comprised of amagnified digitized image of a specimen; providing a commoncommunication channel having a provider station that provides virtualmicroscope slides; transmitting a virtual microscope slide to the firstuser at a first station connected to the common communication channel;creating text at the first station for instructing the second user withrespect to evaluating the virtual microscope slide transmitted to thefirst station from the provider station; and transmitting the text overthe common communication channel from the first station to the seconduser at the second station to provide instructions to the second user toaid in the second user's review of the virtual microscope slide.
 72. Amethod in accordance with claim 71 further comprising: identifying thevirtual microscope slide to the second user in the transmitted text; andthe user requesting and receiving the identified virtual microscopeslide over the common communication channel from the provider station.73. A method in accordance with claim 71 further comprising: instructingin the text the second user as to a region of the virtual microscopeslide to view; and instructing the second user as to what to observe inthe selected region.
 74. A method in accordance with claim 71 furthercomprising providing instructions in the text as to resolutions to beused in viewing a region on the virtual microscope slide.
 75. A methodin accordance with claim 71 further comprising providing a virtualmicroscope slide to the first and second users wherein each of thedigitized images corresponds substantially to a view shown through anobjective lens of a microscope.
 76. A method in accordance with claim 71further comprising using a reduced percentage of a correspondingoriginal microscope image for transmission as a digitized image.
 77. Amethod for viewing a virtual microscope slide of a specimen comprised ofa digitized magnified, overall image of a tissue specimen or asubstantial portion thereof at a predetermined low resolution andregions of the specimen at higher resolutions for transmission over acommon communication channel comprising: providing a transmittingstation connected to the common communication channel and accessible bya number of remote receiving stations connected to the commoncommunication channel; storing a plurality of virtual microscope slide,digitized images of specimens at the transmitting station; the overallimage of the specimen comprising a view of contiguous images ofcontiguous regions of the specimen at a predetermined low resolution andhigher resolution images of regions of the specimen; providing a controlprogram at the requesting computer for use in providing a digitized,virtual microscope, overall slide view of the specimen; selecting by theuser from the displayed, overall view a region and selecting one ofseveral resolutions of the digitized image of the slide specimen forviewing; requesting by the control program of the digitized data neededfor the digitized image of the specimen region at the selectedresolution; transmitting from the remote station the requested digitizeddata for the region to the receiving station; and using the transmitteddigitized data for the region to form the view of the region of thespecimen at the desired resolution.
 78. A method for viewing a virtualmicroscope slide specimen views comprised of digitized magnified imagesof a tissue specimen or a substantial portion thereof for transmissionover a common communication channel comprising: providing a transmittingstation connected to the common communication channel and accessible bya number of remote receiving stations connected to the commoncommunication channel; storing virtual microscope slide, specimen,digitized images at the transmitting station; transmitting a controlprogram to the requesting computer for use in providing a digitized,virtual microscope, slide view of the specimen; selecting by the user ofa region at a desired resolution of the digitized image of the slidespecimen for viewing; requesting by the control program of the digitizeddata needed for the digitized image of the specimen region at thedesired resolution; transmitting from the remote station the requesteddigitized data for the region to the receiving station; and using thetransmitted digitized data for the region to form the view of the regionof the specimen at the desired resolution; caching the transmitteddigitized data under the control of the control program; and firstsearching the user's cached digitized data to be used to satisfy theuser's request and, secondly, requesting from the transmitting stationdigitized data for images not found in the cache, to satisfy therequest.
 79. A method in accordance with claim 78 further comprising:storing at the transmitting station a large quantity of digitized datafor a substantial portion of one specimen at several resolutions; andtransmitting only the requested digitized data which may be a smallportion of the total stored quantity of digitized data for the onespecimen.